Bluefield State Survives Virginia State Rally, Advances to CIAA Championship Game

BALTIMORE, MD — February 27, 2026

Bluefield State is headed to the CIAA Championship — but not without surviving one of the wildest semifinal battles of the tournament.

Inside CFG Bank Arena on Thursday afternoon, the Big Blue (16–14) held off a furious late push from Virginia State (20–10), grinding out a 71–66 victory to punch their ticket to Saturday’s CIAA Men’s Basketball Championship Game.

And at the center of it all was Food Lion Player of the Game Myles Pierre, who delivered a performance built for March.

Big Blue Set the Tone Early

From the opening tip, Bluefield State looked locked in defensively. The Big Blue overwhelmed Virginia State with length, physicality, and relentless rotations, holding the Trojans to just 16 first-half points on 17% shooting.

Every possession felt contested. Every rebound mattered.

On the offensive end, Anthony Davenport provided the spark, knocking down timely shots and finishing with 14 points, including three clutch three-pointers that helped Bluefield State carry a 27–16 lead into halftime.

Meanwhile, Pierre quietly controlled the tempo — attacking the rim, drawing contact, and living at the free-throw line.

Virginia State Storms Back

The second half told a completely different story.

Virginia State came out aggressive, erupting for 50 second-half points and turning the game into a track meet. Jared White ignited the comeback effort off the bench, drilling four three-pointers that energized the Trojan crowd.

Jacob Cooper pushed the pace and attacked downhill, finishing with 12 points as VSU chipped away at what once was a 17-point deficit.

With under four minutes left, the momentum inside the arena had completely shifted.

Back-to-back buckets cut the lead to six. Then another three. Then another.

Suddenly, it was a one-possession game.

Championship Composure

But every time Virginia State threatened, Bluefield State answered.

Ellija Preddy orchestrated the offense with confidence, dishing seven assists while hitting key mid-range shots. Warren Mouganda and Anthony Latty battled inside for second-chance points and critical rebounds, refusing to let the game slip away.

And when the pressure reached its peak, the ball found Pierre.

With seconds ticking down and the Trojans closing fast, Pierre calmly stepped to the free-throw line again and again — and didn’t miss when it mattered most.

He finished an incredible 17-for-18 from the stripe, repeatedly extending Bluefield State’s lead in the final minute.

In the closing seconds, Pierre sealed the moment with a steal, bringing the Bluefield State bench to its feet before Davenport added the final free throw to secure the 71–66 win.

By the Numbers

• Myles Pierre: 23 points, 17-18 FT, 2 steals

• Anthony Davenport: 14 points (3 threes)

• Ellija Preddy: 10 points, 7 assists

• Warren Mouganda: 9 points

• Anthony Latty: 6 points, 8 rebounds

• Tako: 6 points off the bench

Bluefield State now advances to Saturday’s championship matchup, where they will face the winner of tonight’s semifinal between Fayetteville State and Johnson C. Smith — with a CIAA title on the line.

One thing is certain after Thursday’s battle in Baltimore:

The Big Blue proved they can win ugly, survive pressure, and close like champions.