Box Score WASHINGTON, D.C. – Rae Corbo scored 16 of her 18 points in the second half to help Norfolk State hold off a late rally and defeat Howard, 63-60, on Monday night at Burr Gymnasium.
 
The win was the fourth in a row for the Spartans (12-14, 11-4 MEAC), matching their longest streak of the season. Howard fell to 3-26, 3-13.
 
The Spartans, who led by five at the half, used a 15-4 burst in the second half to open up what seemed like a comfortable 52-36 advantage with 8:32 left. Corbo, Amber Brown and Aivah Parham combined for all 15 points in the run, with Brown and Parham making a pair of field goals each and Corbo capping the spurt with a three-point play.
 
But Howard, playing its regular-season finale, didn't go quietly. Trailing 56-45 with less than five minutes remaining, Jasmine Hill sparked an 8-0 Howard run with a pair of field goals and two free throws. Her jumper with 3:03 left cut NSU's lead to 56-53. The teams traded baskets, and after Spartan forward Kayla Roberts fouled out with 1:18 left, Howard post player Victoria Gonzales hit 1-of-2 at the line to bring her team within 58-56.
 
But Corbo took over, scoring the Spartans' last five points. She scored on a layup with 43 seconds to push the lead to four, and after a Sydni Johnson free throw for Howard, Corbo went 2-of-2 at the line with 19 seconds remaining to make it 62-57.
 
Howard had one last gasp. Cheyenne Brown hit a 3-pointer with eight seconds left, and Corbo split a pair of foul shots. But Imani Bailey's last-second 3-point attempt wasn't close, and the Spartans held on.
 
Where Corbo came up with a big second half, it was Roberts who got the Spartans off to a quick start. She scored NSU's first six points on a layup, a free throw and a 3-pointer in the first three minutes. Koryn Lawrence then scored four straight Spartan points to give NSU a 10-2 lead with 15:50 left in the half.
 
Both teams had big runs later in the half. Howard scored 11 straight to turn a four-point deficit into a 23-16 lead, its largest of the game. Brown hit a trey and Gonzales connected on a pair of field goals to close the spurt.
 
The Spartans promptly answered with 11 in a row of their own. Roberts scored four points and Jazamine Gray hit a 3-pointer, just her third of the year, to put NSU back in control. The Spartans took a 31-26 lead into the half.
 
Corbo and Roberts scored the first two baskets out of the halftime break, but Howard rallied in part by getting to the free-throw line, attempting 18 second-half free throws to NSU's seven. The Lady Bison also forced 24 NSU turnovers, 12 in each half.
 
After going 1-of-9 in the first half, Corbo hit 5-of-10 from the floor in the second half. She also had a team-high five assists to go with her 18 points. Roberts recorded 14 points (10 in the first half) and seven rebounds before fouling out. Lawrence was the third Spartan in double figures, with 10 points.
 
NSU got solid contributions from others, as well. Gray finished with seven points and a game-high 10 rebounds, matching her career high. Amber Brown had six points and five boards, and Nia Roberts – playing her first game in more than a month – added seven rebounds and two blocks off the bench.
 
Gonzales paced Howard with 17 points and nine rebounds, but was just 5-of-18 from the floor. Bailey chipped in with 15 points and Hill had 10. Howard shot just 33 percent and was outrebounded by NSU, 44-35.
 
The Spartans clinched a top-four finish in the MEAC regular season with their win on Monday. NSU is tied for third place with North Carolina A&T. NSU holds the tie-breaker over the Aggies, meaning the Spartans need either a win or N.C. A&T loss Thursday to wrap up a top-three finish and MEAC Tournament bye.