Box Score

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Marc Hill scored a game-high 29 points, including six in overtime, to lead host North Carolina A&T to an 89-81 overtime win over Norfolk State in the MEAC opener for both teams on Saturday afternoon at the Corbett Sports Center.

The loss for the Spartans (1-6, 0-1 MEAC), their fifth in a row, came despite a third straight double-double by junior Kyle O'Quinn. He tallied season highs of 27 points and 18 rebounds and also blocked three shots.

This marks the fourth straight season in which NSU and the Aggies have opened MEAC play against each other in early December. A&T has won the last three of those meetings, and Saturday marked the second straight year in which the teams played an OT game to kick off conference play.

There were nine ties and 11 lead-changes in the game, and neither team led by more than nine points. Despite shooting just 36 percent in the first half, NSU led 30-29 at the break thanks in part to scoring 13 points off 10 Aggie (5-3, 1-0) turnovers.

But Hill hit back-to-back 3-pointers to give the Aggies a 43-36 lead early in the second half of the ebb-and-flow affair. The Spartans would later surge into the lead thanks in part to some key shots by Brandon Wheeless, who hit all four of his field goals in the half. His 3-pointer gave NSU a six-point edge at 58-52, and moments later, Rob Hampton hit a trey of his own with eight minutes left to give NSU its largest lead, 61-54.

But A&T would stage another rally and the final minutes of regulation saw both teams trade clutch baskets. Hill's 3-pointer gave A&T a 69-67 lead with 3:30 left in regulation, but Wheeless tied it at the other end. Hill hit another field goal to give the Aggies a 71-69 edge with 1:34 left, but some 20 seconds later, O'Quinn hit a 3-pointer to put the Spartans ahead, 72-71.

A&T tied the game as Thomas Coleman hit 1-of-2 free throws with 19 seconds left. O'Quinn had a chance to win the game in regulation, but was charged with a turnover after some contact near the rim in the waning seconds.

Coleman dunked after an Adrian Powell miss on the Aggies' first possession of overtime, and after an NSU miss at the other end, Hill gave A&T a 76-72 lead with a field goal of his own. The Spartans would get as close as one, 78-77, after a 3-pointer by Wheeless with 2:02 remaining. The Aggies hit 6-of-8 from the free throw line in the final two minutes to preserve the win.

NSU shot 45 percent from the floor, including 63 percent in the second half. But the Spartans connected on just 2-of-9 (22 percent) in the extra period, while A&T hit 5-of-7 (71 percent).

Hampton chipped in with 19 points, five rebounds and five assists for NSU. Wheeless matched his career high by scoring 16 points, his highest output of the season. Freshman Jordan Weathers added a career-high 10 points, and Aleek Pauline (Far Rockaway, N.Y.) dished out a game-high six assists with no turnovers.

For A&T, Coleman added 24 points and 14 rebounds, Austin Witter scored 12 points, and Nic Simpson 10.

The Spartans have next week off for first-semester exams before returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 12 at the University of Maine.