RICHMOND, Va. — Early in the second quarter, Shaw University found itself on the wrong end of a 21-7 score but the Bears battled back, scoring 26 unanswered points the rest of the contest to take a 33-21 win over Virginia Union at Hovey Field Saturday evening.

The Bears, who improve to 2-0 on the season, managed one more touchdown before the half - minus the extra point - then scored 20 points in the second half to secure the win and drop the Panthers to 0-2 on the season.  This was a non-conference matchup for both teams.

As the game started, the two teams looked nothing like the team they'd been the week before.  Shaw had easily handled Charleston 44-14 while Virginia Union fell to Bethune-Cookman 66-7.

"What happened it what we expected to happen," said Shaw head coach Robert Massey.  "Our players looked at the score and didn't pay attention to who Union had played,   They showed us things this week we didn't see on film, but we adjusted and started making plays."

Massey said his halftime speech focused on perseverance.  " I told them if something good happens, keep playing; and if something bad happens, keep playing.  There were some things we did in the second half that need to be corrected going forward, but for the most part we made the plays we needed to."

In the first quarter, the Bears gave up 138 passing yards, but the Panthers added only 68 yards the rest of the way, allowing Shaw back into the game.   In addition, the Shaw secondary started reading some of the routes, picking off four passes after the conclusion of the first period.

"In the first half they didn't look too good," said Massey of his secondary, which he has called the strength of the defense. "In the secondary, one play isn't going to make or break you.  You have to stay the course and keep working for that turnover."

The first quarter was a near disaster for the Bears as the Panthers rolled up 159 total yards compared to only 29 yards for Shaw.  

Shaw reversed the trend, though, finishing the game with 415 yards of total offense, including 219 on the ground and 196 through the air.  They held the Panthers to 305 yards of offense, 99 on the ground and 206 yards passing.

Union quarterback Shawheem Dowdy scored the first points of the contest on a keeper that went for 11 yards and gave the Panthers the early lead.  Shaw responded with a toss from Quinshon Odom to Maarquise Grizzle, who then turned upfield and closed the seven yards to the endzone.

The Panthers closed out the quarter with a 48-yard strike from Dowdy to Matias Parker to give Union a 14-7 advantage.

As the first quarter ended, Union recovered a Grizzle fumble, and then drove into the second quarter, eventually punching the ball into the endzone on a five-yard toss from Dowdy to Wyman Powell to give the Panthers a 21-7 lead.

The Bears began their comeback on the very next possession, which they built into a 12-play, 85-yard  drive that only ended when Odom hit Kowaski Kitchens for a nine-yard strike.  The PAT was no good, so Shaw now trailed 21-13.

Neither team could manage more than 26 yards on a drive the rest of the half.

At the 3:22 mark of the second quarter, Dowdy threw into coverage and Darnell Evans - playing in front of over 30 friends and family who had driven down from his native New Jersey - picked off his first pass of the evening.  With the interception, he broke the Shaw career interception record, which had been 17.  He would add another interception in the fourth to put the career mark at 19.

Despite the interception, the Bears did not get on the scoreboard again in the half, and the teams went to the locker rooms with VUU holding a 21-13 lead,

The Shaw offense struggled to open the third quarter, with two drives that failed to cross into the Virginia Union side of the field.

With 8:50 left in the third, Keith Lomon stepped in front of a Dowdy pass, giving Shaw their second interception and giving the Bears outstanding field position on the Union 20.

Four plays later, Odom hit Nick Jones in the end zone for a 14-yard completion and a touchdown that cut the Union lead to 21-20.

Still trailing by one as the fourth quarter opened, Shaw took advantage of a ten-yard Union punt and drove 63 yards, ending with another connection between Odom and Jones for 29 yards that gave the Bears their first lead of the evening, 26-21.  The Bears went for two and failed, but still held the five-point margin with 6:31 left in the game.

Two plays later, Evans collected his second interception , returning it 28 yards to the Union 27-yard line.  Marquise Grizzle then rushed three straight times, covering all 27 yards and giving Shaw the 33-21 lead after the successful PAT.

Union's next drive lasted only two plays, as Shaw's Chris Ellerbe pulled in a Dowdy pass.  Shaw drove the length of the field as time ticked away, but when they reached the one-yard line, they got into the victory formation and drained the final ticks off the clock.

Odom finished the game with 196 yards on 19 for 39 passing.  He had four touchdowns and no interceptions.  David Jordan and Kitchens each hauled in five passes for 63 and 39 yards respectively.  Jones had only two catches, but both were for touchdowns for a total of 43 yards. 

Grizzle led the rushing attack with 20 carries for 122 yards and one touchdown.  Marquise Stephens had four rushes for 64 yards.

Defensively, Darius Moffett had 12 tackles to lead the Bears.  Derrick Washington had eight tackles including a tackle for a loss of three yards.  Evans finished the game with four tackles, two interceptions and two pass breakups.

Dowdy finished the game with a 21 for 34 mark, good for 206 yards and two touchdowns.  He threw four interceptions.  Damon Kelly was the leading rusher for the Panthers with 31 yards.  Dowdy and Eric Shaw each finished with 29 yards on the ground.

Willie Bailey had 13 tackles to lead the Panthers, including a tackle for a loss of two yards.  Jabari Neeley had 11 tackles and London Byrd had ten tackles and a pass breakup.

Next week, the Bears travel to Wilmington, N.C. for the Cape Fear Classic where they will take on undefeated UNC-Pembroke.  The Braves have already taken down CIAA foes Winston-Salem State and Fayetteville State. 

Massey says there is one big key to next week's contest:  "We have to get healthy.  We can't feel sorry for ourselves, but that's where are.  This team was everything we thought they'd be, so we had to play our best players even if they were a bit banged up.  We have to hope we can get everyone right."

Kickoff for the Cape Fear Classic is Saturday at 1:00 p.m.