BALTIMORE, MD. – Two and a half months after a 27-point loss to the Claflin Lady Panthers, the Lady Vikings took advantage of every opportunity to claim a 70-58 victory in the CIAA semi-finals. In an after-game press conference, Coach Tynesha Lewis had a simple explanation.

“We just decided to come to this game,” she said with a laugh. “We are definitely not the team that they played Dec. 16. They were focused, determined, believed in themselves, and got it done.”

A side-by-side comparison of the stats from both games suggest Lewis’ assessment is spot on. In December, the Lady Vikings trailed every quarter and were out rebounded by the Panthers. On Friday, the Vikings led the entire game, except the 52 seconds the game was tied and bested their opponent on the defensive end of the court.

“It was a really good team win with a lot of good energy on both ends of the floor,” said NyAsia Blango, the Food Lion MVP of the game. “We tried to stay locked in the whole entire game. We didn’t want to get the lead and then lose it. I want to take this energy into the next game,”

With five players scoring double figures and seven getting at least one steal, the energy was evident. Blango led all scorers with 18 points followed by Alanis Hill with 15, Dy’Jhanik Armfield with 15, Rashauna Grant and Ja’Nia Thompson with 10 each.

The Lady Vikings are playing for a repeat CIAA championship with an invisible target on their backs, but they are not worried, Blango said.

“It’s going to feel like everyone is playing extremely hard against us, but we are up for the challenge,” she said. “We’ve just got to prepare and be ready for the game. We ain’t scared about any challenge – it’s all good.’

The team’s confidence paired with performances like the one on Saturday is what makes the Lady Vikings hard to scout, Lewis said.

“Any person, any day can get 10 points, 5 rebounds – if they get the opportunity. Right now, every single person I put in the game is producing,” Lewis said.

This is the third consecutive season the Lady Vikings will advance to the championship game. The game is set for Saturday, March 2, at 1 p.m., at CFG Bank Arena in Baltimore. You can watch live on ESPN+ or listen live on 89.9 WRVS-FM.

About Elizabeth City State University
Elizabeth City State University provides students with a high-quality, affordable education. A constituent member of the University of North Carolina System, ECSU develops courageous, resilient, and empowered leaders through excellent student-centered, experiential learning. ECSU offers baccalaureate, professional, and master’s degrees across a wide variety of disciplines. Come to Discover. Leave to Conquer. Visit www.ecsu.edu.