(Richmond, VA) – For two of the CIAA's leading scorers tonight's game between Shaw and Virginia Union was a tale of two very different halves, but in the end, Braxton Byerson and his Virginia Union Panthers were able to hold off Raheem Smith and Shaw for the 67-64 win.

Shaw (9-3, 2-1 CIAA) and Smith were hampered by foul trouble in the first half, with Smith spending all but three minutes on the bench and failing to score.  He rebounded in the second, playing all 20 minutes and picking up only one foul, but his 11 points were well below his 21.0 point per game average.

Byerson and Virginia Union (4-4, 2-1 CIAA) took advantage of the foul troubles by the Bears.  Byerson had 20 in the first half and helped his team build an 11-point halftime lead, but he had only four points in the second and the Panthers allowed Shaw back into the game, with the lead cut to as little as one with only 13 seconds left in the game.

The Bears fell behind early in the first, failing to score until over three minutes had passed, when Dwight Bell hit a jumper with 16:41, but the Panthers had already scored eight.  Even more importantly for Bear fans, eight seconds earlier, Smith had checked out of the game after committing his second foul.  He would not return in the half.

For much of the half, Virginia Union maintained a four to five bucket lead, but Shaw showed signs of life late.  With the Panthers up 32-22 with 5:13 left in the half, the Bears reeled off six straight points, culminating in a pair of Tony Smith free throws to set the score at 32-28.  The Panthers closed out the half, however, with a 12-5 run, giving themselves an 11-point lead going into the half.

VUU fell afoul of the referee's whistle in the second.  With 10:35 left in the half, the Panthers committed their seventh foul, putting Shaw in the bonus with over half of the period left to play.   Between the Union foul trouble and the return of Raheem Smith to the lineup, the Bears slowly trimmed the Panther lead.

Early in the second, the Panthers extended their lead to 14 points, but the Bears went on an 8-0 run – with four points from Raheem Smith – and cut the lead to six with ten minutes left in the game. 

Virginia Union held on to that lead for much of the rest of the half, but with 45 seconds left, and with the Bears fouling in order to send the Panthers to the line, it was Shaw who scored at the line.  Five straight points, all on Shaw free throws, cut the lead to one, 65-64, with 13 seconds left.

Derrick Hunter immediately fouled James Theus, who - unlike the three Panthers before him who had gone to the line and missed – sank both free throws to give VUU the 67-64 lead with 12 seconds left.  Tony Smith attempted a three pointer as time ran out, but it missed the mark.

Darryl Johnson and Tony Smith had 12 points apiece for the Bears, while Raheem Smith finished the game with 11.  Johnson had a double-double with 11 rebounds.  Tony Smith had four assists.

Byerson's 24 points led the Panthers, while no other Union player hit double digits.  Wayne Ford had nine rebounds to lead VUU.

The Bears end their three-game road trip Thursday as they travel to Bowie State for a 7:30 p.m. tip.  They next play at home on Saturday, January 15, when they host Chowan.  Tip is at 8:00 p.m.

Photos:  Tony Smith (left) had 12 points, and Darryl Johnson had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds.