Postgame Interviews: Head Coach Larry Vickers | Khadedra Croker

NORFOLK, Va. – Khadedra Croker knocked down a jump shot from the left elbow with 4.2 seconds left on the clock to carry Norfolk State women's basketball past UNCG, 64-63, on Friday night at Joseph Echols Hall.
 
Croker's basket turned a one-point deficit into a one-point advantage as the Spartans improved to 4-5 on the season.
 
Norfolk State led by as many as 17 points in the second quarter and held a 37-25 edge at the intermission before a furious third-quarter surge by UNCG (4-7) gave them a 49-48 advantage going into the final period.
 
Nadine Soliman converted an and-one opportunity to knot the score at 60-60 with only 1:59 left in the game. From there, the lead changed hands four times in the final 1:20.

Alexis Pitchford split a pair of free throws to give UNCG a 61-60 edge with 1:20 left in the game. Armani Franklin put NSU ahead 37 seconds later on a fastbreak layup that was set up by a pinpoint long-range feed from Raven Russell.
 
But UNCG had one final punch left, and Alexus Willey laid it in with 20 seconds on the clock to give her team a 63-62 lead, thus setting up Croker's heroics.
 
Soliman scored a game-high 18 points for UNCG with 13 coming in the second half. Franklin scored a season-high 14 points to pace NSU and shot 6-of-7 from the field.
 
Norfolk State out-shot UNCG 42.1 to 38 percent from the field and held the Spartans to 21.4 percent shooting from beyond the 3-point arc. UNCG compensated for its struggles from 3-point range by going 22-of-29 from the free-throw line. The 22 made free throws are the most by a NSU opponent this season.
 
NSU led 14-13 after the first 10 minutes as both teams traded early jabs. Kayla Roberts provided the early offense for Norfolk State, scoring six points on 2-of-4 shooting in the opening period. UNCG's Ije Ajemba matched Roberts production by scoring seven points in the first quarter while not missing a shot from the field.
 
Norfolk State out-scored UNCG 23-12 in the second quarter and took a 37-25 lead into the break. UNCG shot 40 percent from the field in the period but committed six turnovers, while NSU turned the ball over just once.
 
A 15-3 run by Norfolk State highlighted the second quarter as NSU built its largest lead of the game at 35-18. Norfolk State made three 3-pointers during the run, and Franklin converted an old-fashioned 3-point play.
 
Franklin scored from close at the 3:53 mark to put NSU up by 17, but UNCG scored seven of the final nine points of the half to pull to within 12.
 
Norfolk State went cold from the floor in the third quarter and allowed UNCG to regain the lead heading into the final period.
 
NSU shot just 2-of-12 (16.7 percent) from the field in the third quarter and committed five turnovers. At the same time, UNCG made eight of its 18 attempts while also going 6-for-7 from the charity stripe.
 
Willey scored 10 of her 16 points in the third quarter while making both of the Spartans treys in the period.
 
Alexys Long knocked down a 3-pointer to open the third quarter, but it would be NSU's only field goal until the 5:07 mark, when Gabrielle Swinson scored on a layup. In the meantime, UNCG out-scored NSU 12-4 to pull to within seven points, 44-37.
 
Franklin scored Norfolk State's final point of the quarter on a free throw at the 2:53 mark. NSU led 47-41 at the time, but UNCG scored eight of the period's final nine points. Willey accounted for the first five of those points, and Soliman went 2-for-2 from the line to give UNCG a 48-47 lead with 25 seconds remaining.
 
The lead changed hands seven times in the fourth quarter as both teams grappled for the victory. Layups by Croker and Roberts gave NSU a 52-51 lead with 7:38 remaining, but Soliman answered with a pair at the charity stripe to swing the lead back to UNCG.
 
Soliman followed with a basket to put UNCG up 55-52, but Norfolk State countered with six straight points, four coming from Russell, and NSU led 58-55 with 3:43 remaining.
 
Norfolk State successfully protected that lead until Soliman tied the game at 60-60 with 1:59 to go in the game.
 
UNCG won the rebounding battle 37-33 with both teams collecting 10 offensive boards. UNCG committed 21 turnovers on Friday, which led to 25 points for NSU.
 
Ajemba recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 11 rebounds. Roberts paced NSU with nine boards.
 
Norfolk State tallied six blocks in the contest, including three by Roberts. Kendrea Dawkins (two) and Croker (one) accounted for the remainder of NSU's rejections.
 
Friday's game concludes the non-conference portion of Norfolk State's home schedule. The Spartans wrap up the calendar year with three-straight road contests, starting with a 7 p.m. matchup with Campbell on Monday.