Box Score

RICHMOND, Va. — Ebony Gibbs (Petersburg, Va.) posted career-highs of 19 points and 12 rebounds as Norfolk State head coach Tara A. Owens got her first win of the season, 58-44, over Virginia Union Tuesday night at Barco-Stevens Hall.

Gibbs, who scored 17 of her points in the first half, was 7-of-18 from the floor and 4-of-7 from the free-throw line.

The game got off to a very slow start. NSU put the first points on the board on a fast-break layup by Gibbs with 19:04 left in the first half. Former NSU player Samantha Traynham answered on the other end to tie the game at 2-2, but Gibbs countered with another layup to go ahead 4-2 with 17:09 left.

After nearly three minutes and a series of turnovers and missed shots by both teams, Ashley Hill scored a bucket for the Lady Panthers for the second tie of the game, 4-4.

A jumper by Areya Walker (Portsmouth, Va.) with 11:50 left put NSU up 9-5 and the Spartans eventually took a 30-17 lead into halftime.

In the second half, VUU turned up the defense, double teaming Gibbs and limiting her to two second-half points. But the Lady Panthers could not overcome the 34 turnovers they committed.

Tashawna Higgins (Toronto, Ontario) scored NSU's first points of the second half on a jumper with 18:38 left in the game. Two minutes and 51 seconds later, VUU cut the Spartans' lead to 11 on a free throw by Latoya Jarvais.

The Lady Panthers started rally with 13 minutes left, but could get no closer than seven on a jumper by Hill to make it 44-37 with 6:36 left.

A free throw by Walker put NSU up 58-43 and Jarvais hit a free throw of her own with six seconds left to end the scoring.

Walker had 14 points, seven rebounds, and two steals for NSU. She was 8-of-12 from the charity stripe and played a game-high 37 minutes. Tiffany Gadsden (Columbia, S.C.) had a career-high 16 rebounds and added seven points, five blocks, and one assist.

Gibbs added four steals and two assists in her 36 minutes of work. Higgins had nine points, five boards, and a pair of steals and assists. NSU had 15 steals and outrebounded VUU 51-40, but committed 26 turnovers that led to 18 Lady Panther points. 

Dashia Chandler led VUU with 15 points and six rebounds and Katchona Johnson had 10 points, three rebounds, and two steals.

The Spartans return home for a contest against the Winthrop Eagles on Monday at 6 p.m..