Box Score

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Aleek Pauline (Jamaica, N.Y.) scored a season-high 20 points to lead four Norfolk State players in double figures as Norfolk State rolled to its most convincing win of the season, 72-52, over Howard on Monday afternoon at Burr Gymnasium.

The win was the fourth in five games for the Spartans (7-17, 6-6 MEAC), are now in a four-way tie for fourth place in the conference with Howard (7-20, 6-6), Bethune-Cookman and Maryland Eastern Shore.

NSU broke open a close game by outscoring the Bison 22-9 over the last nine and a half minutes of the first half. Pauline and Brandon Wheeless (Stone Mountain, Ga.) hit 3-pointers to extend NSU's lead to double digits for the first time at 34-22, and a traditional three-point play by Michael Deloach (Rocky Mount, N.C.) gave NSU its largest lead of the half at 37-22 with 43 seconds left. Howard got two Dadrian Collins free throws to cut its deficit to 37-24 heading into the half.

Forward Kyle O'Quinn (Jamaica, N.Y.) scored the first four points after halftime to extend the lead to 17, and Deloach drilled a jumper to give the Spartans' a 20-point lead at 51-31 with 12:37 to play. NSU rolled from there, leading by as many as 31 points at 65-34 after Pauline's second 3-pointer of the night with 7:45 remaining.

Pauline, who has scored in double figures in back-to-back games, finished 7-of-11 from the floor (2-of-3 from behind the arc) and 4-of-4 from the foul line to match his career high in scoring. He added six rebounds, three steals and two assists. Deloach added 16 points and team highs of seven rebounds and four assists.

O'Quinn chipped in 14 points, five boards and two blocks, and Rob Hampton (Queens, N.Y.) contributed 11 points and six rebounds. Marcos Tamares (Queens, N.Y.) had four steals and Tim Zephyr (Bronx, N.Y.) blocked three shots.

The Spartans played one of their more efficient games of the year at both ends of the floor, shooting 50 percent to Howard's 31 percent from the floor. NSU also had a season-low nine turnovers while forcing 16.

Howard got 11 points from Collins and 10 from Adam Walker. Bison leading scorer Calvin Thompson, who had 24 points in an 82-77 win over NSU on Jan. 18, was held to eight points on 3-of-9 shooting on Monday.

The Spartans are home for their next two games, beginning on Saturday with a 6 p.m. contest with Winston-Salem State at Echols Hall.