Feb. 25, 2010
CHARLOTTE -
Five days ago, Fayetteville State ended the regular-season with a win over Eastern Division Champion Virginia State.
On Friday, the Broncos will meet VSU again, this time with a berth in the CIAA Championship game on the line. Tipoff inside Time Warner Cable Arena is set for 1 p.m.
"I think we are coming together at the right time," Broncos head coach Eva Patterson-Heath said. "It centers around Danielle (Russell) our point guard."
In two meetings against the Trojans, the 5-foot-4 Russell is averaging 17 points per game.
The Broncos forced 22 VSU turnovers and turned them into 24 points in their 84-73 win over VSU on Feb. 20.
"We were very focused and I thought we ran the floor and finished," Patterson-Heath said. "Everybody, all the team members that played against VSU, contributed positively. That was key, no one really hurts us on the court."
FSU has held 19 of its last 20 opponents to 40 percent or below shooting from the field. In order for FSU to advance to Saturday's championship game, Patterson-Heath believes that kind of defensive effort must continue.
"We need to take care of the basketball and we certainly don't want to have our normal 25 turnovers," she said. "We have to rebound, run the floor and defend."
VSU topped FSU, 60-51 in Petersburg, Va., on Nov. 30, 2009.
Trojans' head coach James Hill doesn't think the previous meetings will have much effect on Friday's contest.
"That game was a regular-season game and it's over with," he said. "We don't look back at what happens prior to us getting here. We're on a mission and our mission is to get to the championship."
On FSU's off-day the Broncos watched some of VSU's win over St. Paul's and also found time to give back.
"We went to Albermarle Road Elementary school and did some community service," said senior L'Oreal Price. "We read to the kids and they asked some questions. It was just a good interaction for the most part."
Broncos fans can watch a live Web cast of the game at www.livestream.com/ciaa , follow on twitter at www.twitter.com/fsubroncos and on the Department of Athletics' facebook page.
