Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Visiting South Carolina State used a 20-point second-quarter advantage to build a double-digit lead, then had to fend off a spirited late Norfolk State rally to hold off the Spartans, 60-52 on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.

The Spartans (0-17, 0-7 MEAC), playing in their first game under interim head coach Larry Vickers, played well early. NSU shot 50 percent and committed just two turnovers in the first quarter. Dominique Harper scored a pair of baskets late in the period to give the Spartans a 15-12 edge after 10 minutes of play.

The second quarter, though, was a different story. SCSU (8-9, 4-3) scored the first 17 points of the quarter, as five different Lady Bulldogs scored in the first 4:07 of the stanza. The run was capped by a Brittany Drumgoole 3-pointer that pushed SCSU's lead to 29-15 with 5:53 left before halftime. A Siobhan Beslow free throw 20 second later snapped NSU's scoreless drought, but the Lady Bulldogs closed the half on a 7-2 spurt to carry a 39-22 lead into the locker room.

After taking care of the basketball in the opening period, NSU committed nine turnovers in the second.

The Spartans clamped down on defense in the third quarter, holding SCSU to just four points. That enabled NSU to slice its deficit to 12 entering the fourth quarter. And that is when the Spartans made their move. NSU opened the final period with an 11-2 run, using a sticky full-court pressure defense to force five SCSU turnovers in the first three and a half minutes of the quarter. 

Koryn Lawrence's first career 3-pointer brought NSU to within single digits. Two free throws by Beslow and one each by Lawrence and Harper cut SCSU's lead to 45-43. After a miss by SCSU, the Spartans had a chance to tie on a Kayla Roberts jumper midway through the quarter. But the shot missed, and SCSU guard Amber Howard pushed the lead back to four with a jumper. Toni Grier then converted a 3-pointer play to extend the SCSU lead to 50-43 with 3:33 remaining.

The Spartans got as close as three, 54-51, on a jumper by Roberts with 1:11 left. But Howard again had the response, scoring on a layup with 49 seconds left to make it a five-point game. The Lady Bulldogs sealed it at the line, going 4-of-6 in the final 40 seconds.

The Spartans shot 35.8 percent from the floor for the game, and just 1-of-17 from 3-point range. NSU also hit just 54 percent (13-of-24) from the free-throw line.

Roberts had a strong all-around game for NSU, scoring a game-high 16 points to go with six rebounds, three assists, three blocks and two steals. Beslow notched her eighth double-double of the season with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Harper scored a season-high 10 points off the NSU bench.

NSU's defense forced 21 SCSU turnovers and held the Lady Bulldogs to 40 percent shooting, including just 32 after halftime.

Howard scored 14 points and Grier 13 for SCSU.

The Spartans return to action at 6 p.m. Monday against Savannah State at Echols Hall.