On Thursday, February 13, at Barco-Stevens Hall in Richmond, VA, the Virginia Union University basketball team suffered a 73-69 defeat at the hands of Bowie State University. The loss was especially disheartening as it came on the heels of an opportunity to claim second place in the standings.

Despite a strong individual performance from Travis Vaughn, who led the team with 18 points, the Panthers struggled to maintain momentum throughout the game. Jonathan King's standout performance on the boards was also crucial, securing 13 rebounds, while DJ Mitchell contributed 11 points and Jonathan Salazar added 10 points. Bobby Gardner also had a significant impact on the defensive end, collecting 10 rebounds.

In a post-game interview, Head Coach Jay Butler expressed his disappointment in the team's performance. "This was a very disappointing loss with the opportunity to play for second place and we don't show up with a sense of urgency on our home court," Butler said. "I thought we had an opportunity to open the game up in the first half and we allowed them to hang around going into the half. The second half, we just came out flat with no energy and allowed Bowie State to capitalize off a lackluster effort."

Looking ahead, the Panthers will look to rebound as they travel to Lincoln University of Pennsylvania for a crucial matchup on Saturday, February 15, at 4:00 p.m. The game presents another opportunity for Virginia Union to regroup and get back on track as the season continues.