CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Virginia Union University men's basketball team earned a hard-fought 75–73 CIAA road victory over Johnson C. Smith University on Wednesday night at Brayboy Gymnasium.

Virginia Union was led by an outstanding performance from Bobby Gardner, who scored a game-high 33 points while shooting 9-of-15 from the field. Gardner was perfect from the free-throw line, knocking down 12-of-12 attempts, and added four rebounds and two assists to cap off a complete performance.

The Panthers jumped out to an early advantage, taking a 44–36 lead into halftime after a strong offensive showing in the opening period. VUU maintained its composure in the second half as the contest tightened, relying on solid execution and defensive stops to protect the lead down the stretch.

Following the game, VUU Head Men's Basketball Coach Jay Butler emphasized the significance of the victory and praised his team's effort.

"I told the guys that Johnson C. Smith is one of the hardest places to play and we never won here in my time coaching at Union," said Butler. "It was good to get that first win. We knew Johnson C. Smith was going to give us a hard-fought game and we also knew it was our fourth game on the road, so we needed to dig deep to get the win. Bobby Gardner was fantastic on both ends tonight. He's starting to take his game to the next level in CIAA play. Hopefully we can get more guys to be consistent from one game to the next."

With the victory, the Panthers improve to 15–2 overall.
Game Information

• Final Score: Virginia Union 75, Johnson C. Smith 73
• Date: January 14, 2026
• Site: Brayboy Gymnasium (Charlotte, N.C.)
• Attendance: 997

Next Game:
Virginia Union returns to action on Saturday, January 17, when the Panthers face Virginia State University in the Freedom Classic in Petersburg, Va.