Box Score CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team struggled to shoot from inside the arc, and the result was a 67-39 Virginia win over the Spartans on Sunday night in a non-conference matchup at John Paul Jones Arena.
 
The Spartans connected on 7-of-17 from 3-point range, or better than 41 percent. It was closer to the basket, though, where NSU could not get going, finishing 5-of-34 (14.7 percent) from 2-point range.
 
Junior Jeff Short was the lone bright spot for the Spartans, as he finished with a game-high 19 points on 6-of-15 shooting. He hit 4-of-7 from long range and added five rebounds. No other Spartan player had more than five points.
 
The worst stretch for NSU came at the start of the second half when the Spartans missed their first 12 shots and went nine and a half minutes before making their first bucket. Short ended that drought and showed off his knack for scoring by converting a pair of tough-angle layups on drives to the hoop.
 
Freshmen Malik Gray and Devonte Banner each drained 3-pointers, but NSU was held to just 17 second-half points.
 
Short and junior D'Shon Taylor each hit treys to get NSU going early in the game. Short's 3-pointer gave the Spartans a momentary 6-5 lead. Malcolm Brogdon sank a pair of 3's to spark Virginia during an 8-0 run to make it 13-6 just seven minutes into the game. Junior LaTre'e Russell had a pair of buckets down low before the Cavaliers sank two 3-pointers to extend their lead into double digits.
 
Short drained a long range shot from the top of the key before UVa's Marial Shayok sank his second 3-pointer of the night for a 29-13 edge. Virginia started off the game 7-of-9 from beyond the arc, hit 8-of-11 in the first half and finished 10-of-21 (47.6 percent) for the game.
 
After Short converted three straight foul shots with 6:53 left in the first half, the Cavaliers went on a 9-0 run over a 3-minute span. He hit two more treys before intermission for 15 first-half points, but Virginia held a 42-22 lead at the break.
 
The Spartans hit 12-of-51 (23.5 percent) overall from the floor for the evening. Sunday marked NSU's worst shooting percentage and lowest scoring output since hitting 10-of-46 (21.7 percent) in a 68-36 loss at Illinois State on Dec. 18, 2011.
 
Justin Anderson and Mike Tobey led Virginia with 11 and 10 points, respectively. UVa also shot 23-of-53 (43.4 percent) overall from the floor.
 
NSU, playing without junior forward RaShid Gaston, was outrebounded 41-31. The Cavaliers also had an 11-4 edge in blocks.
 
The Spartans will head back home to face Boston University Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.