Staff report

SALISBURY — It was a familiar tale for Livingstone’s women’s basketball team.

Play hard, keep it close, have a chance, lose in the fourth quarter against one of the CIAA’s top teams.

Fayetteville State escaped Trent Gym with a 67-58 victory on Thursday thanks to a dynamic duo of Talia Trotter and Aniylah Bryant that combined for 45 points.

The Broncos (15-2, 8-1) were able to overcome a terrific game by Livingstone’s Jamiah Lane, a 5-foot-10 forward from Georgia. She was an army one one. Lane shot 9-for-15, scored 23 points and pulled down 14 rebounds.

Jay’lah Williams hit 33-pointers and scored 13 for Livingstone.

Fayetteville State led 14-6 after a quarter, but the Blue Bears played the visitors evenly in the middle two quarters and trailed by six  heading to the fourth.

Livingstone corralled a whopping 22 offensive boards. The Blue Bears also enjoyed a small edge in the turnover battle.

But FSU shot better from the field (37.5 percent to 30 percent) and got to the foul line more often.

Livingstone fired away from the 3-point line, but made only five of 29 attempts.

Fayetteville St.      14    14    17    22   — 67

Livingstone           8      15    16     19     — 58

LIVINGSTONE — Lane 23, J. Williams 13, Reaves 9, Green 6, Woodruff 2, Alexander 2, Kelson 2, Griffith 1.