Box Score

ORANGEBURG, S.C. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team tallied just 18 points in the first half and was unable to execute offensively in a 62-49 loss to South Carolina State Monday evening at the SMH Memorial Center.

¬The Spartans shot just 30.5 percent for the game, including 23 percent in the first half, and fell to 8-16 overall and 1-12 in the MEAC with their eighth straight loss. The Bulldogs improved to 8-16 overall and 4-10 in conference play.

Freshman Rachel Gordon tallied a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Spartans, while junior Sarah Daily and freshman Rae Corbo each posted 11 points. Junior Tyisha Bridges posted five points, four rebounds and two steals.

Whitney Wiley led all players with 16 points for the Bulldogs, and Fannie Goodwin came off the bench to add 12 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks. Tiara Knotts had a game-high five assists with 10 points.

South Carolina State shot 20-of-52 from the floor (38.5 percent), while the Spartans were 18-of-59 overall. Neither team was effective from 3-point range, with NSU hitting 4-of-14 from long range and S.C. State going 4-of-15

Both teams had 42 rebounds on the night, but the Bulldogs held a 30-14 advantage in points in the point. NSU has failed to reach 50 points in five of its last seven games now. The Spartans got just eight points from their bench in the loss.

The Spartans jumped out on top of the Bulldogs to start the game, scoring the first four points of the contest and then taking a five-point lead, 11-6, at the 13:51 mark when Corbo completed a traditional 3-point play. Bridges connected from long range with 9:46 left in the first half for a 14-10 NSU lead, but from there the wheels fell off the bus for the Spartans.

S.C. State went on a 14-0 run that lasted slightly more than seven minutes, and the Bulldogs ended the half on an overall 19-4 run. In the last nine and a half minutes of the first stanza, NSU converted on just a pair of free throws by Corbo and a basket by Bridges with 32 seconds left to go into the break down by a 29-18 score.

The run continued in the second half, as the Bulldogs got the lead up to 16, 34-18, before Gordon finally ended the long drought with a basket at the 18:02 mark. The teams went back and forth for the next several minutes, but NSU cut into the lead, holding S.C. State scoreless for three minutes and getting the deficit down to 10, 38-28, with 12:52 left.

An 8-2 run by the Bulldogs got the lead back to 16, but NSU turned right back around and used a 9-2 run to get the S.C. State lead into single digits, 48-39, as the clock ticked to under eight minutes remaining in the game. Just as NSU got its offensive going, though, the Spartans then failed to score for more than three minutes and fell behind, 54-39, with 6:14 to go.

Daily's bucket with 1:20 left made it 59-49, but a turnover and three missed shots in the last minute of play ended any hope of a Spartans comeback.

S.C. State avenged an earlier 73-65 loss to NSU earlier in the season at Echols Hall.

NSU will return to the court next Saturday at home against Morgan State. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.