Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Nola Anderson scored 21 points to lead four Oakland players in double figures, and the visiting Golden Grizzlies held off a furious late Norfolk State rally to down the Spartans, 83-73 on Tuesday night at Echols Hall.

Siobhan Beslow scored a career-high 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Spartans (0-4). Koryn Lawrence also scored 18 points, freshman guard Yazmen Hannah dropped in a career-high 17 and Kayla Roberts contributed a double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds.

Oakland (3-1) outscored the Spartans 22-11 in the third quarter to erase a two-point NSU halftime lead. The Grizzlies used a 9-0 spurt spanning the end of the third and start of the fourth quarter to take a 59-46 lead with 9:28 left. A 3-pointer by Rio Dudgeon then gave Oakland its largest lead of the game at 66-50 with 8:07 left.

But the Spartans used their pressure defense and a scoring flurry from Hannah to get back into the game. NSU forced three turnovers in a 16-2 run which was fueled by 11 straight points from Hannah. All told, she scored 14 of the 16 in that run, capped by a triple with 3:20 remaining to pull NSU within 68-66. 

But the Spartans went cold, missing their next three field goal attempts. Anderson scored inside, then Sinclair Russell added a pair of free throws to push the Golden Grizzlies' lead to 72-66 with 2:14 remaining. NSU couldn't get closer than five after that. 

Oakland started the game on fire, hitting its first six field goals to jump out to a 13-2 lead at the 6:15 mark of the first quarter. But NSU forced five Oakland turnovers in the period and slowly rallied behind Beslow, who had eight points in the first quarter and 15 at halftime. Alexys Long hit a jumper with 1:35 left before the half to send the Spartans into the locker room with a 35-33 advantage.

But Oakland shot 53 percent from the floor while holding NSU to a 33 percent clip in the third quarter, when the Golden Grizzlies regained control.

Olivia Nash had 17 points, 13 rebounds and two blocks for Oakland. Elena Popkey added 16 points and Russell 13.
Beslow notched her second double-double of the year while also blocking three shots and notching three steals. Roberts and Lawrence also blocked a pair of shots apiece. The trio also combined for 10 steals, and Lawrence handed out a game-high seven assists.

The Spartans are back in action at No. 8 Mississippi State at 7 p.m. Friday.