ERIE, Pa. — Fayetteville State’s women’s basketball saw the most successful season in program history end Tuesday in the Sweet 16 of March Madness.
The Broncos dropped their NCAA Division II Atlantic Region championship game at Gannon 72-47 in Joann Mullen Gymnasium as the Golden Knights sank 13 3-pointers to earn their third trip to the Elite Eight.
Fayetteville State finishes with the best record in school history at 29-3 after making the team’s deepest-ever NCAA Tournament run and claiming a sweep of CIAA Southern Division, tournament championship and individual league trophies.
MAKING HISTORY: Fayetteville State women’s basketball makes Sweet 16 for first time in program history
SECOND-ROUND WINNERS: Best team in FSU history? Fayetteville State women roll into Round 2 of NCAA Tournament
CIAA CHAMPIONS: Fayetteville State women’s basketball wins 5th CIAA championship in program history
Can’t buy one
When Fayetteville State did get a good look at the basket Tuesday, shots just weren’t falling as the Broncos made 17-of-60 for 28.3% — well below their season average of 39.4%.
And Gannon cleaned up those misses, holding a 15-rebound advantage while outscoring the Broncos 38-21 in the second half.
Friendly bounce
Gannon (35-2) had homecourt advantage as the No. 1 seed in the Atlantic Region, and a gym full of friends, fans and family showed up to support their Golden Knights.
The team responded with an outstanding performance.
Gannon neutralized CIAA Player of the Year Aniylah Bryant, holding her to only six points. The national leader in steals, Bryant managed five against the Knights but they did a good job with ball movement, keeping the Broncos chasing on defense.
Meanwhile, Gannon enjoyed a hot shooting night from long range — firing a season-high 36 3-pointers and sinking 13 of them (36.1%).
First-half notes
The Broncos trailed 34-26 after the first half, with Gannon ending the second quarter on a 9-2 run.
The Golden Knights countered FSU’s zone defense with six first-half 3-pointers, shooting 30% (6-for-20) from beyond the arc. And they outrebounded the Broncos 23-16.
Talia Trotter sparked Fayetteville State early on, posting a game-high 12 points in the first half, going 2-of-2 from 3-point range and knocking down all four of her free-throw attempts. She was aggressive at the point, pushing tempo and getting downhill on offense where FSU has excelled all season.
NCAA history
The Broncos improved their all-time NCAA Tournament record to 4-7, with half of those wins coming this season as FSU reached the Sweet 16 for the first time in school history.
Gannon won a fourth straight Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) championship this season and it’s played in nine NCAA Tournaments under coach Cleve Wright, winning Atlantic Region championships in 2010, ‘13 and ‘24. Gannon reached the Final Four in 2010.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Fayetteville State women’s basketball NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 game