GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Norfolk State bowling team completed play on Sunday in the third and final MEAC Southern Divisional, finishing with a 5-4 record over the course of two days at the AMF Lanes in Greensboro.
 
North Carolina A&T hosted the divisional and went on to win the Southern Division crown at 14-4 after winning two of three conference games on Saturday and all three on Sunday. The Spartans posted a 1-2 record on both Saturday and Sunday in official conference games. They also won all three Baker contests on Saturday that did not count toward MEAC records.
 
In the end, the No. 21-ranked Spartans finished third in the division at 10-8 behind Florida A&M (11-7). Bethune-Cookman finished fourth at 1-17.
 
Junior Alexa Rodriguez and senior Briana Gardner played big roles for NSU on Saturday when the team opened up the divisional in traditional play. Rodriguez averaged 194.3 in all three games, while Gardner posted a 193.7 average. The duo finished third and fourth, respectively, in terms of individual average among all bowlers.
 
Rodriguez had a 224 and sophomore Aubrey Conrad a 200 in the first game of the day, a 1,012-951 setback to No. 17 N.C. A&T. Gardner's 233 paced NSU in the second game, a 912-844 loss to Florida A&M, before freshman McKayla Lang rolled a 203 in the Spartans' 851-784 win over Bethune-Cookman.
 
Baker play proved to be stronger for Norfolk State, which defeated A&T 966-896 in the first of three Baker games on Saturday afternoon. The Spartans topped FAMU, 994-939, as well as Bethune-Cookman by a 929-817 margin to close the busy day out.
 
The Spartans, however, could not hold momentum in Baker play on Sunday. In official MEAC games, NSU first fell to A&T, 963-870. FAMU then handed the Spartans another loss in the middle game, 912-828. Norfolk State was able to rebound, however, in the last game, an 825-771 victory over Bethune-Cookman.
 
Lang averaged 171.3 in all three traditional games on Saturday, while senior Meagan Marciano also took part in all three games. Conrad bowled in the first two games before sophomore Heizel Quinones bowled in the last game against B-CU.
 
NSU will bowl this weekend in the three-day Hawk Flight Classic beginning on Friday before competing in the MEAC Championship from March 23-25.