Box Score PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – Overcoming a slow start to the game, the Norfolk State men's basketball team finally found its offense in the second half in a 63-58 victory over UMES Saturday afternoon at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.

The Spartans had trouble the entire first half knocking down shots despite several decent looks, but their defense played well and kept NSU to within seven at the break, 22-15. NSU (8-10, 3-0 MEAC) then caught fire in the second half, kicking out to its 3-point shooters and erupting for nearly 50 points in the second stanza.

Kevin Mays, though, single-handedly kept the Hawks (0-13, 0-2) in the game, scoring 17 points in the second stanza and 27 for the game. Mays had 11 of UMES' 13 points during a stretch late in the second half to help the Hawks cut the deficit to two with 1:49 left. UMES then missed four straight attempts until a last-second, half-court heave and got no closer than the two-point margin.

Mays shot 10-of-12 from the field and completed the double-double with 10 rebounds. Ishaq Pitt added 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting with eight rebounds and four assists. UMES hit 22-of-49 for the game (44.9 percent), compared to just 21-of-63 (33.3 percent) for the Spartans. That included a 17.2 percent effort in the first half for NSU on 5-of-29 shooting.

Junior Malcolm Hawkins scored 14 points, all in the second half, to lead NSU's comeback. Junior Pendarvis Williams added 12, while junior Marese Phelps scored eight in the second half and 10 for the game. The Spartans shot 7-of-12 in the second half from beyond the arc and pushed their lead to as much as 11 before the late UMES rally.

NSU got off to a very slow start in the game, as a trey from Williams over the outstretched hands of a defender at 18:22 marked the only basket for the Spartans in the first eight minutes. UMES had an early 11-4 lead, and after senior A.J. Rogers hit a short jumper in the lane, neither team scored for almost four minutes. Junior Kievyn Lila-St. Rose drained a 3-pointer from the left corner with 8:08 left to finally end the drought.

Phelps drove to the rim and hit a 12-foot floater with a little less than two minutes to go in the first half to cap the scoring, and NSU went into the break down by seven. The Spartans scored the fewest points in a half since tallying 13 in the first stanza against Coppin State on Jan. 30, 2012.

Senior Kris Brown's 3-point play and an easy slam by junior Brandon Goode cut the deficit to two early in the second half, and treys from Brown and Hawkins less than a minute apart tied it up at 27-27 at the 15:20 mark. Hawkins stepped back into another 3-pointer on a fastbreak, and then Phelps hit a jumper from the right elbow and a trey from the right corner to stretch the lead to seven, 38-31.

The Spartans continued to bring the rain from 3-point range, pushing the lead to the largest of the game, 46-35, just a few minutes later. Williams made it 49-39 when the seas parted for him on his drive down the lane, the last time NSU had a double-digit advantage.

Mays kept the Hawks in the contest with his late game scoring outburst. UMES, though, was unable to complete the second-half comeback.

Freshman Rashid Gaston added six points and 10 rebounds for NSU, while Francis Ezeiru totaled 13 boards to help UMES hold a 42-39 edge on the glass.

UMES hit just 3-of-12 from 3-point land and 11-of-25 from the charity stripe in the game but did outscore the Spartans by a 38-18 margin in the paint. NSU, meanwhile, held a 21-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

The Spartans will head across the Chesapeake Bay to face Howard Monday in Washington, D.C., at 7 p.m. in an ESPNU broadcast.