Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State interim head coach Robert Jones stated before the season that he wanted to utilize an up-tempo offense in his first season at the helm of the men's basketball program. After Wednesday night's showing, it's safe to say the Spartans are clicking on that side of the ball.

Led by a career-high 38 points from Pendarvis Williams, Norfolk State blew past Newberry 115-95 in the team's 2013-14 home opener at Joseph Echols Hall.

Williams shot 14-of-19 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, to score the second-most points by an NSU player in a Division I game. His career day only trailed Tony Murphy's D-I record of 43 points set on Dec. 19, 2006.

The Spartans also scored the most points in the Division I era, breaking the previous record of 110 set in a double-overtime win three years ago. It marked the most points by a Norfolk State squad since the Spartans tallied 115 against Knoxville on Jan. 29, 1996.

NSU (1-1), though, had trouble pulling away from Newberry, which shot 16-of-40 from 3-point land for the game. The Spartans led by just three at the half, but a 20-5 run early in the second half allowed Norfolk State to cruise from there.

A 60.3 percent shooting effort from the floor (41-of-68), which included a 62-28 edge in points in the paint, was a result of NSU successfully attacking the rim against a smaller Newberry squad with just one player over 6-foot-6. The Spartans also held an 18-6 advantage in fastbreak points.

Sophomore RaShid Gaston had a big game, tying his career high with 20 points on 7-of-8 shooting and adding 10 rebounds for the double-double.

Williams had 20 in the second half as NSU finally pulled away from the pesky Wolves, who hurt the Spartans in the first half with kick-outs to their 3-point shooters.

In the second half, Newberry tied it up at 51-51 on a 3-pointer from Jamie Harper, but the Spartans slowly began to push ahead, at first using a 10-3 run to go up by nine, 65-56. After a couple of quick layups by the Wolves only 19 seconds apart, the Spartans went on a 20-5 run over the next four and a half minutes for a 20-point edge, 85-65.

Norfolk State had 85 points with 10 minutes still left in the game, and after being stuck on 98 for a little more than three minutes, a layup from redshirt junior Jamel Fuentes gave NSU a 100-83 lead at the 4:47 mark.

Fuentes had eight of NSU's next 13 points during a closing stretch, and a pair of free throws by redshirt sophomore Hefeng Sun and an 18-foot jumper by senior Zieyik Estime in the last minute and a half of play capped the scoring for the Spartans.

Fuentes finished with 12 points – 10 in the second half – with seven assists.

Newberry jumped out to the early lead to start the game thanks to some quick scoring opportunities. A trey from Harper gave the Wolves a 13-9 lead at the first media timeout at 15:45. The Spartans began to get up and down the court, going up by five, 23-18, on a pair of free throws from Fuentes.

After Harper put the Wolves up 26-25, the Spartans went on a 12-0 run to take the largest lead of the half, 37-26, with 7:45 to go in the first stanza.

The scoring slowed for the Spartans as the half came to a close, as Newberry went up momentarily, 48-46, on a trey by Gerald Evans to cap a 9-0 run. NSU went into the break ahead 51-48 following a three-point play by Gaston with less than 20 seconds left.

Newberry shot 10-of-24 from the 3-point line in the first half.

Wednesday's contest also marked the second-straight game an NSU player scored 30 points after Hawkins added 31 in the team's season opener at Texas Southern.

Hawkins scored 15 points for NSU on Wednesday night. Williams added seven rebounds and four assists, as the Spartans held a 44-29 edge on the glass.

Dondray Walker led Newberry with 20 points, while Demarkus Smith and Harper added 18 and 17, respectively.

The Spartans will turn right around and host Virginia Union on Friday at 8 p.m. as the second half of a doubleheader with the women's team.