Box Score ELIZABETH CITY, NC- The Chowan University men's basketball team edged Elizabeth City State University 76-71 in CIAA Northern Division play on Saturday afternoon. The Hawks post a 14-3 overall record and 7-0 mark in CIAA play after Saturday's game while the Vikings move to 7-7 on the year and 4-3 in the league. Saturday's victory marked the ninth consecutive win for the Chowan men's basketball program.

Kortez Smith led all players in the contest with 24 points in the win. Marco Haskins added 12 points for the Chowan Blue and White while Carlos Arroyo scored 11 points. Josh Mellette notched nine points and six rebounds for the Hawks.

DeCarlos Anderson paced the Vikings with 13 points while James Theus chipped in 12 points in the setback. Miykael Faulcon scored 11 points to aid the effort.

The Hawks raced to a 14-7 lead early in the first half before Smith's layup at the 12:36 mark gave Chowan a comfortable 18-7 advantage. With 8:39 on the clock and the Hawks leading 23-11, a jumper by Dwayne Banks sparked 10-2 run for Elizabeth City State, leaving Chowan clinging to a 25-21 advantage. The Hawks and Vikings exchanged baskets in the final stretch of the first half before a jumper by Faulcon for Elizabeth City State knotted the score 28-28 heading into halftime.

The Vikings overcame three ties early in the second half before taking a 39-37 lead at the 13:38 mark after a three-pointer by Theus. The Vikings maintained the lead until Smith hit a layup and made a free throw to push Chowan ahead 63-62 with 4:32 remaining in the contest. With the scored tied 64-64 and 2:45 on the clock, Smith drained a free throw to give Chowan the lead once more. The Vikings battled back to pull within one point on two occasions in the final minute of play but the Hawks took advantage of free throw opportunities to secure the 76-71 victory.

The Hawks return to action on January 20^th when Chowan takes on Virginia State University in CIAA Northern Division play. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30pm.