Larry Vickers Postgame Interview | Postgame Player Interview

NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State women's basketball earned its first win of the young season after dispatching Cheyney, 93-40, at Joseph Echols Hall on Tuesday night. Those 93 points are the most by NSU (1-2) since its 99 against St. Augustine's on Nov. 15, 2016.
 
The Spartans turned in a complete effort, shooting over 50-percent from the floor while holding the Lady Wolves (0-3) to 26.4-percent shooting. Five NSU players scored in double figures on Tuesday, and nine Spartans overall had at least two field goals.
 
La'Deja James paced all participants with 20 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range. James also chipped in three assists and two blocks.
 
Norfolk State ratcheted up its defensive intensity, forcing Cheyney into 25 turnovers. The Spartans sparked their offense with those turnovers, many of them live-ball giveaways, scoring 32 points on the Lady Wolves' miscues and 26 on the fast break.
 
The ball was moving freely and easily inside Echols Hall as Norfolk State racked up 27 assists, which matches the fourth-most in a single game in program history. The 1990-91 team holds the record with 38 assists against Fayetteville State. The Division-I era record sits at 32 and was accomplished against Virginia-Lynchburg on Dec. 20, 2013.
 
Dana Echols was the most-generous Spartan in the game, dishing out 12 assists. The Auburn, Alabama native scored 11 points for her first double-double in the green and gold and chipped in four steals and a block as well.
 
After falling behind 5-0 inside the first minute-and-a-quarter of the game, the Spartans locked in and out-scored Cheyney 19-5 for the remainder of the period. De'Janaire Deas got NSU on the board on a layup at the 8:34 mark, and the Spartans scored the next 10 points.
 
Gianni Hill's second trey of the period cut the deficit to 10-8, but once again Norfolk State scored the next seven points on an Alexys Long 3-pointer and back-to-back layups by James.
 
Norfolk State jumped out to a 26-10 lead after scoring the first seven points of the second quarter. Jameila Barrett started the 7-0 run with the first basket of her collegiate career.
 
The Spartans went to the break up 44-23 after Shekinah Howard scored the final five points of the half. The freshman laid it in with 56 seconds remaining before knocking down her first 3-pointer as a college player just 45 seconds later.
 
NSU's two freshmen provided a spark in their first-ever home game. Barrett finished with eight points on 4-of-5 shooting, and Howard logged five points and five rebounds.
 
Norfolk State held Cheyney to 12.5-percent shooting in the third quarter, extending its lead to 66-29 when the period ended.
 
Danyael Goodhope had six of her eight points in the third and did not miss a shot, making all three of her attempts.
 
Raven Russell saved her best for the fourth quarter, netting seven of her 15 points without missing an attempt from the field. The senior filled the stat sheet with 15 points, eight rebounds, four steals, three assists and two blocks.
 
As a team, Norfolk State out-rebounded the Lady Wolves 52-29. NSU grabbed 23 of its own misses and scored 25 second-chance points. The rebounding discrepancy was only part of the Spartans' dominance inside as Norfolk State scored 54 points in the paint.
 
The Spartans return to Echols Hall on Sunday, when they host Navy for a 4 p.m. contest.