Box Score KINGSTON, R.I. – Junior Brandon Goode had 13 points and 13 rebounds, and the Norfolk State men's basketball team overcame a big game from Rhode Island's Nikola Malesevic to open the season with a 67-55 victory over the Rams Friday night at the Thomas M. Ryan Center.

Goode led NSU in scoring and was one of four players in double figures as NSU overcame a halftime deficit to outscore the Rams by 17 in the second half. Malesevic certainly did his part for Rhode Island (0-1), posting 26 points and nine rebounds, including a 9-of-12 effort from the charity stripe.

NSU, though, outscored Rhode Island in the paint, 36-16. The Rams only received four points from their bench as they faded late in the game. NSU closed the contest on a 25-8 run.

The game marked the first for the Spartans in the 2012 Hall of Fame Tip-off, which will be played on several different campuses before concluding next weekend at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.

Junior point guard Jamel Fuentes had 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two steals for NSU (1-0), which limited the Rams to less than 30 percent shooting in each half.

The Spartans, though, found themselves in foul trouble in the first half, getting whistled 12 times before the break. Rhode Island took advantage, shooting 13-of-17 from the charity stripe despite hitting just 7-of-24 (29.2 percent) from the field.

Senior Rob Johnson twice gave NSU early three-point leads in the first half, and junior Pendarvis Williams nailed a trey for a 12-9 lead at the 13:30 mark. Malesevic had all eight of Rhode Island's points during an 8-0 run that put the Rams up by five, 17-12.

After junior #Zieyik Estimè# sank a 3-pointer on NSU's next possession, though, the Spartans made just one of their next seven shots from the field. That allowed Rhode Island to take its biggest lead of the game, 28-20, when Xavier Munford converted a fastbreak layup.

Junior Kievyn Lila-St. Rose ended the drought with a shot from long range, but Rhode Island went into the break up by five, 30-25. The Rams converted nine first-half Spartan turnovers into 10 points.

Johnson's three-point play two and a half minutes into the second half finished an 8-0 run for NSU to start the stanza. Junior Malcolm Hawkins put NSU up by five with a 3-pointer at the 16:31 mark. The Rams outscored NSU 14-4 over the next seven minutes to go up by five, 47-42.

Fuentes then scored the next seven points of the game to help NSU start to pull away. Rhode Island made just one field goal in more than eight minutes of play, and Williams and freshman Rashid Gaston combined for 12 points late in the game to aid the Spartans in their double-digit victory.

Williams and Johnson added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Gaston had a solid collegiate debut, posting seven points, seven rebounds and two blocks.

The Spartans had 15 offensive rebounds for a 22-12 advantage in second-chance points. NSU hit 44.6 percent from the field for the game (25-of-66) but committed 13 more fouls in the second half. The Rams did not take advantage, hitting just 6-of-13 from the free throw line after halftime.

NSU will finish the trip with the second game of the Hall of Fame tournament on Monday at Seton Hall at 7 p.m.