Box Score
NORFOLK, Va. – Alexander Starling and C.J. Reed scored 18 points apiece, and visiting Bethune-Cookman used a quick early start to the overtime period to send Norfolk State to its school-record-tying 11th straight loss, 85-83, on Saturday night at Echols Hall.
Chris McEachin and Aleek Pauline scored a season-high 18 apiece to lead the Spartans (1-12, 0-2 MEAC).
The Wildcats (7-8, 2-0) never trailed in the second half, but Spartan center Kyle O'Quinn nailed a jumper in the paint to knot the score at 68-all with 16 seconds left in regulation. B-CU missed two shots at the other end that would have won the game, sending the teams into an extra session.
In the OT period, the Wildcats scored the first eight points to take control. Starling and Reed hit layups on back-to-back possessions, and Starling and Stanley Elliott (10 points) each hit a pair of free throws to stake B-CU to a 76-68 lead. The Spartans, meanwhile, had two turnovers, missed their first two field goal attempts and missed a pair of free throws in the first two minutes of OT.
The Spartans' first overtime points came on a pair of free throws by McEachin with 2:34 left in the stanza, bringing NSU within 76-70. But the Spartans could get no closer than four until a 3-pointer by Rob Hampton at the final buzzer. The Wildcats went 9-of-10 from the foul line in the final 45 seconds to seal the win.
B-CU went 2-of-2 from the floor in overtime and 13-of-14 from the free-throw line.
The Wildcats shot a torrid 65 percent from the floor in the first half, but NSU forced nine turnovers to stay in the game and trail by just four, 34-30, at the intermission. O'Quinn had 10 of his 17 points in the first half.
There were two ties in the early going of the second half, the second after O'Quinn knocked down two free throws to make it 40-40 with 15:48 left in regulation. But the Wildcats scored the next six points and the Spartans had to play catch-up the rest of the way.
Reed, the MEAC's leading scorer coming in, hit just 6-of-20 from the floor. But he got some key help from his forwards Starling (18 points, nine rebounds) and Garrius Holloman (16 points, eight rebounds), who were a combined 13-of-20 from the floor. B-CU also shot 51.8 percent from the floor on the night (29-of-56) and 82.8 (24-of-29) from the charity stripe.
In addition to his 18 points, Pauline also dished out a season-high 10 assists for his first double-double of the year. McEachin grabbed a team-high six rebounds. O'Quinn blocked five shots and pulled down five rebounds before fouling out with 2:57 left in overtime.
Hampton and Pendarvis Williams were NSU's other double-figure scorers, notching 14 and 10 points, respectively.
The Spartans look to put an end to their losing skid against Florida A&M on Monday night. Tip-off is slated for 8 p.m. at Echols Hall.
