Box Score
GREENSBORO, N.C. — Brandon Wheeless (Stone Mountain, Ga.) hit two foul shots with 2.8 seconds left, then stole the ensuing inbounds pass to seal Norfolk State's 67-66 win over host North Carolina A&T in the regular-season finale for both teams on Thursday night at the Corbett Sports Center.
With the win, NSU clinches the No. 4 seed in next week's MEAC Tournament. The Spartans (11-18, 9-7 MEAC) open play in the tournament quarterfinals against No. 5 Hampton next Thursday night, March 11, at 8 p.m. at the LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Tavarus Alston put A&T (10-21, 6-10) ahead 66-65 with a jumper with 15 seconds left. At the other end, NSU guard Michael Deloach (Rocky Mount, N.C.) had his driving shot blocked by Thomas Coleman. Tim Zephyr (Queens, N.Y.) got the offensive rebound and missed, but Wheeless got another offensive board and was fouled.
For Wheeless, it was a chance at redemption. In the team's first meeting in Norfolk on Dec. 5, Wheeless missed the front end of a one-and-one free throw opportunity with the chance to give NSU the lead with 10 seconds left in regulation. The game ended up going to overtime, where the Aggies won. But this time, Wheeless, making his second straight start in place of the injured Rob Hampton (Queens, N.Y.), sank both free throws. He then stole Coleman's inbounds pass and NSU was eventually able to run out the clock.
NSU trailed by as many as 21 points in the first half, at 38-17. But Deloach scored the final eight Spartans points of the half to cut the deficit to 40-25. A&T shot 48 percent from the floor in the stanza while holding the Spartans to 36 percent.
But the second half was a complete reversal. The Aggies made just 5-of-31 field goals for 16 percent shooting in the second half, while NSU connected on 15-of-33 (45 percent). Deloach and Aleek Pauline (Jamaica, N.Y.) led the charge. Deloach had 21 of his 37 points in the second half, while Pauline had nine of his 10 after the break. Deloach, playing his final regular-season game just a short distance from his hometown, buried a 3-poiner to cap a 7-0 NSU run to tie the score at 59-all with 6:12 left.
Two free throws by Kyle O'Quinn (Jamaica, N.Y.) gave NSU its first lead of the half at 61-60 with 4:47 remaining. The Spartans would maintain the lead until the final seconds, when Alston put A&T in the lead.
O'Quinn scored just six points, but grabbed 12 rebounds, blocked four shots and handed out two assists. Pauline had 10 points, six rebounds, three assists and just one turnover. Zephyr chipped in with eight points and five boards to give the Spartans their eighth win in their last 10 games. It also marked NSU's first win in Greensboro in their last four tries, since a 75-60 win on Feb. 25, 2006.
Deloach was sensational in his final regular-season game in a Spartan uniform. He was 14-of-27 from the floor, 2-of-7 from behind the arc, and 7-of-8 from the foul line. In the process, Deloach passed NSU legend Bobby Dandridge for eighth place on the Spartans' all-time scoring list with 1,775 points.
Nic Simpson and Dwane Joshua scored 13 points apiece for the Aggies. Alston added 11 and Robert Johnson had 10.
