Box Score
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Natalie Gramblin hit the front end of a pair of free throws with five seconds left in overtime and Whitney Long (Raleigh, N.C.) missed a desperation 3-pointer on the other end of the court as the Wofford women's basketball team held off Norfolk State 77-75 on Wednesday night at the Benjamin Johnson Arena.
NSU (0-2) had a five-point lead, 66-61, with 1:38 left in regulation after a layup by Raychele Payne (Newport News, Va.). But a free throw by Gramblin and back-to-back scores by Mahagony Williams tied the game at 66-all, forcing the extra period.
The game was a nail-biter the entire way with 18 lead changes and six ties over the course of the overtime affair.
The Spartans were down by two, 35-33, at halftime and found themselves with an eight-point deficit (49-41) after a jumper by Maddie Helms with 9:28 left in the second half. But NSU would not give up and took the lead on a 3-pointer by Long with 6:05 left. During the last frantic minutes of regulation, the Spartans did a good job on the defensive end and maintained their composure even though the Terriers turned up the pressure.
In terms of shooting, the teams were closely matched. The biggest difference was in rebounding and second-chance points. Wofford (1-2) beat NSU on the boards 64-39 and benefited from 21 second-chance points compared to the Spartans' eight.
NSU shot 41.4 percent (29-of-70) from the floor for the game, including 33.3 percent (5-of-15) from 3-point range. The Terriers hit 32 of their 79 shots from the field (40.5 percent) and went 7-of-20 from beyond the arc. The Spartans had 16 steals to Wofford's 12 and committed seven fewer turnovers (21) than the Terriers.
Kathlyn Varno had a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds for Wofford. Helms also tallied 18 points, while Williams had 10 points and 15 boards. Kelly Dwyer scored 16 points and added seven rebounds and a game-high five steals.
Long matched her career-high with 19 points on 8-of-18 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from beyond the arc. Marquilla Evans (Portsmouth, Va.) contributed 15 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Marian Brooks (Woodbridge, Va.) recorded career-highs of 10 points and two steals.
Recca Trice (Arlington, Texas) notched career-highs in points (nine), rebounds (four), assists (five), steals (three) and minutes (42).
The Spartans host St. Paul's College at 6 p.m. on Friday in their home opener.
