FARMVILLE, Va. – Senior guard Jordan Strode's career-high 23 points paced the Norfolk State women's basketball team to its second consecutive road win in an 85-56 victory over Longwood on Saturday afternoon at Willett Hall.
 
Strode shot a perfect 12-of-12 from the charity stripe, while grabbing four rebounds and adding four assists.
 
The Spartans (4-4) are off to their best start since the 2011-12 season, when they started 5-3. NSU, which won Wednesday at High Point, had not won two consecutive non-conference games away from Joseph Echols Hall since the 2013-14 season.
 
Senior guard Kiara Phillips knocked down two 3-pointers early in the first quarter that helped spark the offense. She hit a wide open 3-pointer from the right corner to give the Spartans a 3-2 lead at the 8:06 mark of the first quarter. Norfolk State did not relinquish the lead the rest of the way. She nailed another deep 3-pointer several steps from behind the arc on the right wing with 5:25 left in the quarter, which gave the team a 15-6 lead.
 
Norfolk State held a 17-11 lead after one quarter after holding the host Lancers to 5-of-15 (33.3 percent) from the field.
 
 "Jordan and Kiara did a great job attacking early when Longwood was clearly trying to take Kayla (Roberts) away," Norfolk State head coach Larry Vickers said. "When Jordan is attacking like she was, she is one of the best guards in the league."
 
The Spartans opened up a cushion with a 16-5 run over the first 4:44 of the second quarter. Sophomore center Shayla Tanner started the run with a layup at the 8:55 mark of the quarter and Strode gave NSU a 33-16 lead when she sank her first two free throws of the game with 5:16 left in the half.
 
Longwood (1-5) would only be able to cut the lead to 39-25 as the teams headed to the locker rooms.
 
The third quarter was the best for the Longwood offense, as it shot 8-of-19 (42.1 percent) from the floor. Despite the Lancers trimming the lead to 39-29 just one minute and two seconds into the second half, that would be the closest they would get to the Spartans the rest of the way.
 
Norfolk State utilized a 17-7 run over the next 6:13 to put the game out of reach for all intents and purposes. A Tanner layup with 2:45 left in the third quarter gave NSU a 56-36 edge.
 
The Spartans shot 67 percent (8-of-12) from the floor in the final quarter and used a 19-5 spurt to grow their lead from 16 points to 30. Redshirt freshman Treasure Doberson went 1-of-2 from the free-throw line to make the score 83-53.
 
Junior forward Kayla Roberts fell two rebounds short of her fourth consecutive double-double. She tallied 15 rebounds with eight rebounds, four assists, two steals and one block.
 
Junior center Shayla Tanner and junior guard Gabrielle Swinson scored in double-figures off the bench. Tanner tallied a career-high 10 points while grabbing seven boards. Swinson recorded 10 points and four assists and freshman forward De'Janaire Deas tallied eight points and five rebounds as the Spartan bench outscored Longwood's 36-13.
 
Norfolk State transfer senior forward Khalilah Ali grabbed five rebounds against her former team.

Dayna Rouse and Kemari Jones paced the Lancers with 14 points and 10 points, respectively.
 
Defensively, NSU held Longwood 22-of-61 (32.3 percent) from the floor for the game, including 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) from 3-point range. The Spartans also outrebounded the Lancers 47-29.
 
"Our defense is our best offense," Vickers said. "When we are in tune with the scouting report and playing hard on defense, I love our chances."
 
Norfolk State shot 49.2 percent (30-of-61) from the floor for the game, including 6-of-19 (31.6 percent) from deep. The Spartans shot 19-of-27 (70.4) from the charity stripe, while Longwood went 6-of-12 (50 percent). NSU recorded 10 steals and forced 17 Lancers turnovers, which led to 22 points, while Longwood registered 13 points off the 13 Norfolk State turnovers. The Spartans outscored the Lancers 36-28 in the paint and 16-9 on second-chance points.
 
Norfolk State will have an 11-day break before hosting William and Mary on Thursday, Dec. 15. Tip-off is at 7 p.m.