Box Score

ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Khalif Toombs scored 21 points and Darnell Porter 19, and host South Carolina State sprinted out to a big first-half lead and cruised to a 97-82 win over Norfolk State on Monday night at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

The loss spoiled a career night from NSU sophomore Kyle O'Quinn (Jamaica, N.Y.). The 6-10 forward recorded his fourth double-double of the season with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds, but he could not prevent the Spartans (3-15, 2-4 MEAC) from dropping their third straight game.

Arsenio Williams scored eight of his 10 points during a 10-2 Bulldog run in the first half that turned a 16-12 lead into a double-digit cushion at 26-14. Later, SCSU closed the half on a 15-4 spurt, capped by a 3-pointer by Brandon Smalls with one second left before the intermission, to give the Bulldogs their largest lead of the period, at 47-26.

SCSU (9-8, 3-3) shot 55 percent (17-of-31) from the floor in the first half, including 50 percent (5-of-10) from beyond the 3-point arc. The Bulldogs, who were also 8-of-8 from the foul line, held NSU to 35 percent shooting from the floor (10-of-29) in the stanza.

NSU could not get closer than 12 points in the second half. The Spartans managed to hold SCSU to 31 percent shooting after the half (8-of-26), but were whistled for 28 second-half fouls which led to 43 SCSU free-throw attempts. The Bulldogs made 34 of those in their 50-point half, and shot 42-of-51 (82 percent) for the game from the charity stripe. Toombs scored 18 of his 21 points from the line, making 18-of-20.

The Spartans also paraded to the line in the second half, attempting 30 free throws and making 20. NSU scored a season-high 56 second-half points, with O'Quinn scoring 24 of those.

O'Quinn was 11-of-15 from the field and 10-of-13 from the line. He also blocked three shots. Michael Deloach (Rocky Mount, N.C.) had 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists, while swingman Rob Hampton (Queens, N.Y.) had nine points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Tim Zephyr (Bronx, N.Y.) also scored nine points.

Jason Flagler had 17 points and 13 rebounds for SCSU, which became the third straight Spartan opponent to score at least 82 points. The Bulldogs are also the fifth team to hit the 90-point plateau against NSU this season. Tyvon Williams and Arsenio Williams added 10 points apiece.

The Spartans host MEAC leader and defending conference champion Morgan State at 6 p.m. Saturday.