BALTIMORE, MD — Fayetteville State’s face-paced offense took a while to get off the ground in the CIAA Tournament opener — and it nearly cost it.
Fayetteville State survived Wednesday night, erasing a nine-point halftime deficit to defeat Bowie State 86-83 in a quarterfinal thriller at CFG Bank Arena. Head coach Devin Hoehn, who arrived at Fayetteville State after leading Bluefield State to last season’s CIAA title game, admitted it wasn’t his team’s cleanest performance.
“Just about tried to have a heart attack out there,” Hoehn said. “We didn’t play that well. We did not come out the gates ready to go like we typically do.”
A Gut Check for Fayetteville State
Bowie State, already warmed up from playing the day before, shot confidently early and built a 41-32 halftime lead. The Bulldogs were aggressive in transition and capitalized on Fayetteville’s slow defensive rotations.
“They was hitting a lot of shots out the gate,” a Fayetteville player said. “And it was a little bit on us too, not sprinting back out our press.”
But this Broncos team has built its identity on resilience.
“One thing about these guys is they are relentless,” Hoehn said. “No matter what we’re down, we’re never out of it.”
The halftime message was simple: be us.
“If we can take care of us, we feel like we should be okay,” Hoehn said.
CIAA Veterans Led The Way
Fayetteville State responded with 54 second-half points, shooting 57.1 percent after the break and attacking the paint relentlessly. The Broncos finished with a 44-34 edge in points inside and went 23-of-28 from the free-throw line.
Terrell Williams led the charge with 26 points and helped steady the offense as momentum shifted.
“At no point did we think we took this game for granted,” Williams said. “They just came out hot.”
Larry Howell added 18 points as Fayetteville’s offensive rhythm returned.
“Never get too high, never get too low,” a player said. “Even when we down, we never feel like we’re out.”
The waiting game begins
Hoehn’s tournament experience showed in the second half adjustments. Having coached in last year’s CIAA championship game at Bluefield State, he understands the rhythm of this week.
“It’s tournament time,” Hoehn said. “Each game is going to get tougher and tougher. We gotta make sure we’re there ready to answer that call.”
Fayetteville State now advances to Friday’s semifinal, where it will face the winner of Virginia Union and Johnson C. Smith.
For a coach who has already navigated this stage before, and a roster that refuses to blink, the Broncos believe they are built for the moment.
But as Hoehn reminded them, the margin only tightens from here.