NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State scored the first 13 points of the game and cruised to a 74-43 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.
The Spartans (13-10, 8-3 MEAC) hit seven of their first eight shot attempts, while the Hawks (9-12, 3-7) made just one of their first 20 as NSU jumped out to a 20-2 lead. The Spartans, who shot 49.2 percent from the floor and committed a season-low six turnovers, led by at least nine points the rest of the way and held the Hawks to 20.9 percent accuracy from the field.
Kayla Roberts led the Spartans by registering her 11th double-double of the season, with game-highs 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Kiara Phillips netted 13
points, while
Dominique Harper and
Gabrielle Swinson tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively.
The Spartans led 22-6 after the opening 10 minutes of action. They stretched their lead to their largest margin in the first half when Phillips drained a 12-foot baseline jumper to give Norfolk State a 29-6 lead with 8:34 left in the first half. The squads traded baskets for the next four minutes, but Maryland Eastern Shore cut the deficit to 17, when Ra'Jean Martin made a layup and completed the three point play at the free-throw line with 27 seconds remaining before intermission. The Spartans carried a 39-22 lead to the locker rooms.
Alexus Hicks made a jumper in the paint with 4:51 left in the third period to cap a 13-5 Maryland Eastern Shore run that cut the deficit to 44-35. But Norfolk State would stiffen on defense and not allow the Hawks to creep any closer the rest of the way. Maryland Eastern Shore made one free throw the rest of the period as the Spartans went on a 7-1 run and stretched their lead back to 17.
They continued that momentum and outscored the Hawks 21-7 in the final frame. Norfolk State did not allow Maryland Eastern Shore to get any closer than 18 points in the stanza and the lead remained in the 20-plus point range from the 8:34 mark on, when
Alexys Long buried a 3-pointer to make the score 58-37. The Spartans scored the final four points, giving them their largest lead of 31 and the final margin of victory, when reserve guard
Treasure Doberson swished a jumper in front of the Spartans' bench, sending them into a frenzy.
Doberson's jumper meant all 11 Spartans scored from the field. Ten players grabbed at least one rebound.
Roberts blocked five shots, which is the fourth time this season she has blocked at least that many in a game. Her block on Ksenia Popovich's layup attempt with 5:28 remaining in the fourth period was the 100th of her career and 49th of the season. Roberts is only the fifth Spartan and second in the Division I era to register 100 blocks in a career. Her 49 blocks this season is tied with Selena Edward for the third-most in a single season in the D-I era and seventh all-time.
Swinson matched a career-high with seven assists and Harper handed out six as the Spartans tied their second-most assists in a game this season, with 20.
Norfolk State blocked 11 shots as a team, which is the seventh time this season the Spartans have rejected at least 10 shots in a game.
Norfolk State will be off until Wednesday, when it will host South Carolina State at Echols Hall. This will be the makeup game that was postponed from Jan. 9 due to the snow storm. Game time is 5:30 p.m.
