Box Score NORFOLK, Va. – Despite a late run at the end of the game, the Norfolk State men's basketball team was unable to get past Princeton in an 83-74 loss to the Tigers on Tuesday night at Joseph Echols Hall.
 
NSU shot a respectable 48 percent in its last non-conference game of the regular season, but the Tigers sank 10 3-pointers and got a balanced effort across the board. They led by as much as 22 late in the game before NSU's final desperation run and improved to 9-4 after also defeating Hampton in their two-game road trip.
 
Playing their first home game in a little more than a month, the Spartans were led by a pair of seniors in Charles Oliver and D'Shon Taylor. The duo rebounded from their previous game at Alabama, with Oliver leading all players with 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting. Taylor shot 8-of-13 and finished with 18 points and four boards.
 
NSU got to within six early in the second half, but a 10-1 run by the Tigers opened a 16-point lead with 12 minutes left in the game. After a pair of free throws by freshman Alex Long with 9:01 on the clock made it 63-50, Princeton scored 10 of the game's next 11 points to go up by 22.
 
With the lead still at 22 a little more than a minute later and less than four minutes on the clock, NSU went on a roll. The Spartans scored the next 15 points in a little less than three minutes. Oliver had five points during that spurt, and sophomore Devonte Banner drained a pair of 3-pointers as Princeton missed all three field goal attempts and all three free throw attempts while turning the ball over twice.
 
A 77-55 deficit was cut to just 77-70 with 51 seconds to go after Banner's second trey. Princeton, though, made 6-of-6 from the free throw line to put the game away.
 
The Spartans dropped to 5-11 overall on the season. They did hit 28-of-58 (48.3 percent) from the floor, but NSU again struggled from the 3-point line, shooting just 5-of-19. Senior Jeff Short also reached double figures with 11 to go with six rebounds and three assists.
 
NSU got off to a strong start, scoring the first nine points of the game. Down by five a little later, Princeton scored eight straight for a 16-13 lead at 11:51. It was capped by a trey from Aaron Young, one of six in the half for the Tigers. Taylor countered for NSU by scoring the next six on a trio of jumpers. NSU finished a 9-3 run on a trey by Short with a little more than nine minutes left in the half.
 
The Tigers took the lead back by scoring six straight and did not let go the rest of the half. NSU did get to within one, 30-29, after another bucket by Taylor, but the Tigers closed the half on a 10-2 run to take a 40-31 lead into the break.
 
Princeton shot 28-of-51 (54.9 percent) for the game and 10-of-22 from long range. Henry Caruso was one of four players in double figures with 16 on 6-of-9 shooting. Devin Cannady added 13, making all three of his field goal attempts and all five free throws, while Myles Stephens (11) and Spencer Weisz (10) also made contributions.
 
Sophomore Jordan Butler led all players with nine rebounds while adding six points, although Princeton held the slight edge on the glass, 30-28. Butler also had two of the team's seven blocks, with junior Preston Bungei tallying three.
 
The Spartans will face Florida A&M and resume MEAC play on Saturday at 6 p.m. at home.