Box Score KENT, Wash. – D'Vonne Pickett Jr. hit a driving layup with 20 seconds left to complete a late comeback for Seattle University in a 70-67 victory over the Norfolk State men's basketball team Thursday evening at the ShoWare Center.

The Spartans had the upper hand for the entire second stanza until that late shot by the Redhawks, who forced 13 NSU turnovers and also hit 17-of-20 from the foul line, both in the second stanza. Even after that make by Pickett, the Spartans had a pair of looks at the basket with time running down but were unable to convert.

The loss dropped NSU to 8-4 on the year, while Seattle improved to 8-3.

The Redhawks were down by as much as 13 in the first half and continued to trail by double digits with less than 11 minutes left in the game. The Spartans were still in control after senior Malcolm Hawkins hit a trey and then another shot from just inside the arc with five minutes left. A layup by senior Anell Alexis at 3:19, though, marked the last points of the contest for NSU.

Hawkins led all players with 22 points on 7-of-14 shooting. Alexis, with 11, and senior Brandon Goode with 10 also reached double figures for the Spartans.

Deshaun Sunderhaus and Isiah Umipig each scored 18 to lead Seattle. The Redhawks hit 22-of-50 (44.0 percent) for the game, with half of those attempts coming from beyond the arc (5-of-25).

NSU scored three quick buckets to get its offense going in the early part of the game, and seniors Marese Phelps and Zieyik Estimè hit a pair of treys to match a couple of baskets by Sunderhaus. Hawkins put the Spartans up by 10, 28-18, at the 8:11 mark following a pair of 3-pointers and a nice backdoor cut to the basket with a pass from Goode.

Alexis was also the recipient of a pair of nice passes for two easy layups, part of a 9-2 stretch for the Spartans that put them up by 13, 39-26, with two minutes left in the half. Sunderhaus ended a four-minute scoring drought for the Redhawks, who then went into the break down by 11, 41-30.

The Spartans had just three turnovers in the first half.

Seattle got to within six early in the second half following a 9-2 run, but two buckets within 20 seconds by Phelps gave the Spartans their double-digit lead back. Hawkins finished a 3-point play, but the Redhawks crept to within four, 56-52, with less than eight minutes to go before eventually taking the lead with that last-minute shot.

The Spartans hit 25-of-54 (46.3 percent) for the game and held the slight rebounding edge, 32-28.

They also shot 11-of-14 from the free throw line, compared to a final 21-of-27 clip for Seattle.

NSU will face Virginia for the second time in less than a year when the Spartans head up to Charlottesville for a 7 p.m. contest on Monday.