FAYETTEVILLE, NC --The Shaw men's basketball team got off to a slow start and never fully recovered as they fell 81-53 to the Fayetteville State Broncos on the road Wednesday.

The Bears (8-7, 4-3, 0-1 CIAA South) had two players score in double figures, led by Dj Thomas, who had 12 points. Shayne Saigo tacked on 11 points and Kj West added four points and three steals.

The Shaw defense was a problem in Wednesday's game, forcing 14 Fayetteville State turnovers while committing 11. Those takeaways turned into eight points on the offensive end of the floor. West's three steals led the way individually for the Bears.

How It Happened

After falling behind 14-2, Shaw went on an 8-0 run with 11:55 left in the first half to narrow its deficit to 14-10. Shaw failed on two chances to take the lead after battling back to cut the Broncos lead to just one point but Fayetteville State answered back and added to its lead, leaving the Bears down 35-26 entering halftime.

Shaw could not pull any closer in the second half as their deficit swelled to 20 points before the midway mark of the second half before losing by a final of 81-53. Shaw took care of business in the paint, recording 20 of its 27 points in the lane.

Game Notes

» The Shaw bench made an impact by adding 18 points to its scoring output.
» The Shaw defense forced 14 turnovers.
» Dj Thomas led the Bears with 12 points.
» Shaw got three rebounds from both Jermaine Vereen and Kj West.

Up Next

The Bears return to action on Saturday, January 20 as they host the Livingstone College Blue Bears. Tipoff is slated for 4 PM inside Spaulding Gymnasium.