RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia Union University men's basketball team continued its winning ways Saturday afternoon, using a strong defensive second half to earn a 74-64 victory over St. Thomas Aquinas College at Barco-Stevens Hall. The win marked VUU's 12th consecutive victory.
After a tightly contested first half, the Panthers raised their intensity on the defensive end after intermission, outscoring the Spartans by 16 points in the second half to pull away for the win.

Bobby Gardner led Virginia Union with 21 points, providing consistent energy throughout the game. O'Maundre Harris added 17 points, while Tahj Harding came off the bench to score 11 points, including several key baskets in the second half.

St. Thomas Aquinas shot the ball well in the opening half and kept the game close early, but Virginia Union's defensive pressure after the break limited the Spartans' scoring opportunities and allowed the Panthers to build separation.

Coach's Quote
"We knew this game was going to be a tough game coming off the Christmas break after being off for 14 days," said VUU Head Men's Basketball Coach Jay Butler. "I thought Bobby and Elijah's energy kept us in the game in the first half. We were just a step slow on defense and St. Thomas shot the ball extremely well in the first half. The second half I thought we came out with a sense of urgency on the defensive end and that got us going offensively. 'Dre' and Tahj made some big shots in the second half that helped us get a lead to seal the win."

Virginia Union shot efficiently from the field and controlled the paint, using timely stops and balanced scoring to maintain control late.

Next Game
Virginia Union returns to action on Tuesday, January 6, when the Panthers travel to Raleigh, N.C., to face Shaw University.