Elizabeth City, N.C.- The Livingstone College men's basketball team closed out the doubleheader on January 6 with a tough 82-73 loss to Elizabeth City State. Despite a strong individual effort from several players, the Blue Bears could not overcome ECSU's balanced attack and fell short in the final stretch.

Jamal Cannady Jr. led the team with 17 points, shooting 5-13 from the field and 7-9 from the free-throw line. He also grabbed 5 rebounds and dished out 2 assists in 31 minutes. James Nipper added 8 points and was perfect from the free-throw line, going 4-4. He also contributed 4 rebounds and 2 assists.

Paul Tako came off the bench to provide a spark, scoring 10 points with 2-2 shooting from beyond the arc, along with 5 rebounds.

Livingstone battled hard, but ECSU's offensive depth, combined with the Blue Bears' shooting struggles, allowed the Vikings to pull away in the second half.

The Blue Bears will look to bounce back when they travel to Virginia State on January 9. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.