GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team surrendered a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter and suffered a 59-52 defeat to UNC Greensboro at Fleming Gym on Wednesday night. The Spartans fell to 5-6 on the season, while the Spartans of UNCG improved to 7-6.
 
Kayla Roberts finished with 15 points and six rebounds to lead NSU. She also registered three blocks and three steals.
 
The game was a back-and-forth affair in the first half, which saw nine lead-changes and one tie. Norfolk State took a 23-22 lead with 5:15 left in the second quarter when Khalilah Ali made a layup. The teams went to the locker room with Norfolk State leading 33-29.
 
NSU scored the first five points in the third quarter, which gave the Spartans their biggest lead of the night, when Roberts made a layup with 8 minutes, 1 second left in the period to make the score 38-29.
 
The teams alternated baskets the rest of the quarter, as the two teams struggled from the field in the period and NSU's lead see-sawed between seven and nine points over the final eight minutes. Norfolk State shot 23.5 percent (4-of-17), while UNCG was just a tick better at 25 percent (3-of-12) in the third.
 
UNCG outscored Norfolk State 12-4 in the first 4:45 of the final stanza to take the lead 47-46. Alexis Pitchford started the comeback when she converted a turnover into a layup, then hit a jumper in the first 37 seconds of the period to trim Norfolk State's lead to 42-39. Pitchford's two free throws with 5:15 left in the fourth period gave UNCG a 47-46 lead, its first since the score was 23-22 early in the second quarter.
 
Norfolk State never regained the lead, but the game would remain close the rest of the way. NSU tied the game at 52, which was the fourth tie in the game, when Jordan Strode made a layup with two minutes remaining in regulation.
 
However, Norfolk State went 0-for-4 from the field down the stretch, which included a trio of missed layups. Te'ja Twitty made a layup at the 1:14 mark to break the tie, which UNCG never relinquished. She sank four free throws in the final five seconds to seal the victory for UNCG.
 
Strode and Dominique Harper joined Roberts in double figures. Strode tallied 11 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Harper totaled 10 points, six rebounds, three steals and two blocks.
 
Norfolk State shot 22-of-64 (34.4 percent) from the field, including 3-of-11 (27.3 percent) from deep, while UNCG was 22-of-52 (42.3 percent) overall and 4-of-13 (30.8 percent) from behind the 3-point line. Norfolk State was outrebounded 42-32, but created 21 UNCG turnovers while committing just 12. Norfolk State blocked eight shots and recorded 10 steals.
 
Nadine Soliman registered 18 points to lead UNC-Greensboro. She added five rebounds.
 
The Spartans will have a short recess for the Christmas holiday. They will travel to Maryland for their next game, which is Dec. 29 at 7 p.m. at Towson.