Box Score SAVANNAH, Ga. – Down by eight with six minutes to go, the Norfolk State men's basketball team used a 14-0 run late in the game to help take a 56-49 win over Savannah State on Monday night at Tiger Arena.

The Spartans found themselves in trouble in front of an ESPNU audience when the Tigers finally got their offense going and went on a 13-2 run for a seven-point edge with more than 10 minutes to go. A 3-pointer by Keierre Richards at the 6:19 mark pushed the Tiger lead to eight, 47-39.

That was the when the Spartans put the final clamps down on the defensive side of the ball. NSU closed out the game on a 17-2 run, as SSU committed four turnovers and missed nine shots, including a pair of free throws, in the final six minutes of the game.

NSU improved to 12-9 overall and 6-2 in the MEAC, moving into second place in the conference standings after Morgan State also lost on Monday.

Savannah State (7-14, 5-2) hit 33.3 percent for the game on 16-of-48 shooting, which included a 6-of-23 effort in the first half during which the Tigers went scoreless for nine minutes. NSU was unable to capitalize, though, leading by just two at the half.

Senior Malcolm Hawkins led all players with 16 points, while senior Pendarvis Williams added 11 in the second half and 13 altogether.

NSU shot 20-of-47 (42.6 percent) for the contest and overcame an 18-turnover performance. The Spartans also went just seven deep on the night, with those seven players combining for all but three of the available 200 minutes in the game.

Down by two at the half, the Tigers grabbed a quick lead on Richards' trey to start the second stanza. Senior Brandon Goode converted a three-point play, and back-to-back buckets by sophomore RaShid Gaston gave the Spartans a 31-27 lead at 15:26. The Tigers, though, began their 13-2 run at that point before NSU closed out the victory.

Hawkins broke a three-and-a-half minute scoreless streak early in the game for NSU with a deep 3-pointer from the left key. He and Goode added two more baskets in quick succession for a 13-8 lead at 13:36 as Savannah State went cold from the field. The scoring drought reached slightly more than nine minutes for the Tigers until Jeremiah Hill's floater from the left side ended a 13-0 Spartan run.

The lead reached 11 at 21-10 after a bucket inside by senior Anell Alexis at 3:33, but Savannah State got back into the game thanks to a 10-1 run to close out the half.

NSU went into the intermission ahead 22-20.

Gaston tallied seven points and 13 rebounds, helping the Spartans finish with a 40-29 edge on the boards. Junior Jamel Fuentes added seven points with four assists and four steals.

Joshua Montgomery led SSU with 13 points, while Richards added 11. He shot 3-of-5 from long range for all three of Savannah State's treys in the game. The Tigers hit just 3-of-19 from long range.

The Spartans will face their last non-conference opponent of the season next Saturday at Miami.