Jones Postame Interview | Long Postgame Interview

NORFOLK, Va. – After a slow start, the Norfolk State men's basketball team went on to earn a 77-63 victory over Delaware State in the MEAC opener for both teams on Saturday evening at Joseph Echols Hall.
 
The Spartan offense got off to a slow start, not hitting double digits on the scoreboard for more than 10 minutes. But NSU got going, taking a three-point lead at the half and outscoring the Hornets by 11 in the second period.
 
Norfolk State made 11 3-pointers, with senior Derrik Jamerson Jr. knocking down 5-of-8 from deep. He was one of four Spartans in double figures with 21 points and six rebounds, his second career 20-point game. He helped the team shoot 44 percent overall for the night.
 
The win improved NSU's overall record to 6-10. Delaware State fell to 3-11 despite having two players reach the 20-point plateau. Pink Wiley tallied 28 points on 11-of-20 shooting, and Kevin Larkin totaled 20 points and eight rebounds. They made all nine of DSU's 3-pointers on the night.
 
The Spartans went ahead by seven late in the first half and then pushed the lead up to double digits early in the second. The Hornets only got to within five and later to within seven as the game wore down.
 
But it did not start off that way. Almost 10 minutes into the game, neither team had cracked the double-digit mark. The score sat at 9-9 halfway through the first period. Five lead changes in a row on five buckets were on tap next before Jamerson hit his second 3-pointer of the half.
 
With 7:23 left, that bucket started a quick 9-0 run that put the Spartans ahead by seven, 24-17. They needed each point, as Wiley scored 13 in a row for the Hornets to match NSU bucket for bucket. After his last score, a trey off the backboard with less than a minute left, junior Nic Thomas nailed one of his own on NSU's last possession to give the Spartans a 33-30 lead at the break.
 
Wiley had 21 points going into the locker room.
 
The Spartans knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the first minute of the second half as they scored 10 in a row. Down 13 at that point, the Hornets cut into NSU's lead after their 12-4 run. The Spartans still led by five at that point, 47-42, about five minutes into the half.
 
But NSU went right back up by 13, 59-46, after another 3-pointer from Jamerson and a fastbreak dunk from senior Alex Long. DSU got to within seven with eight minutes left, but the Hornets went scoreless for more than five minutes as the game came to its final few minutes.
 
Thomas added 15 points on 4-of-9 3-point shooting for the Spartans, and Long totaled 14 points and 10 rebounds for his second double-double of the year. Junior Steven Whitley had 10 points in the second half and 12 for the game, shooting 4-of-5 from the floor with eight rebounds and four assists.
 
Senior Jordan Butler had nine points and 11 rebounds, shooting 7-of-8 from the free throw line. The Spartans held the edge on the glass, 49-33. They also made 75 percent from the line as a team (18-of-24).
 
DSU had just seven giveaways and outscored the Spartans 16-5 in points off turnovers. The Hornets shot just 34 percent for the game (24-of-71). NSU was 24-of-55, including 11-of-23 from deep.
 
NSU will host Florida A&M on Monday at 8 p.m.