Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State sprinted out to a big early lead, but visiting Bethune-Cookman gradually rallied and eventually pulled out a 53-45 MEAC victory over the Spartans on Monday night at Echols Hall.
The loss dropped NSU to 0-14 overall, 0-4 in the MEAC. The Wildcats improved to 8-8, 2-1.
NSU played perhaps its finest quarter of the season in the opening period Monday, jumping out to an 18-2 lead. The Spartans scored the first 10 points of the game, four by forward
Siobhan Beslow. B-CU didn't record its first basket until Ashanti Hunt's layup with 4:23 left cut NSU's lead to 10-2. But the Spartans held B-CU scoreless the rest of the period, closing with an 8-0 spurt. NSU limited B-CU to 1-of-13 shooting and forced 10 Wildcat turnovers in the period, scoring 12 points off those miscues.
The second quarter was a different story, with B-CU outscoring NSU 24-8. A 3-pointer by Alea Godfrey capped a 7-0 B-CU run to end the half and tied the game at 26-all heading into the intermission.
Wildcats center Kailyn Williams scored on a put-back 48 seconds into the period to give B-CU its first lead of the game, at 28-26. There were five ties and three lead-changes in the period. NSU forward
Kayla Roberts scored on a reverse layup to knot the score at 36-all heading into the fourth quarter.
There were six more lead-changes in the final stanza. NSU wing
Alexys Long canned a 3-pointer with 4:28 left to give the Spartans their final lead of the night, at 45-43. But those proved to be NSU's final points. Kendra Cooper hit a trey less than a minute later to give B-CU the lead for good as the Wildcats outscored NSU 10-0 over the final 3:31.
The Spartans missed their final six field goal attempts and committed two turnovers after Long's basket.
Williams was a force on both ends for the Wildcats. She scored 10 points, grabbed 15 rebounds (six offensive) and blocked six shots. Cooper led B-CU with 14 points and Jasmine Knowles also scored 10 points.
Roberts and Beslow both finished with eight points and nine rebounds for NSU. Roberts also had three steals, giving her seven in the last two games. NSU matched its season high with 11 steals as a team.
The Spartans hit the road for their next two games, beginning with a 2 p.m. matchup Saturday at North Carolina Central.
