NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team dropped its season opener 67-48 to the Liberty Flames on Tuesday night.
For the game, the Flames (1-0, 0-0 ASUN) outshot the Spartans (0-1, 0-0 MEAC) from the floor, the free-throw line, and behind the arc. The Flames went 8-22 from three-point range shooting 36.4% percent. Liberty was also efficient from the charity stripe going 11-17 (64.7%), compared to the Spartans 11-27 (40.7%). Overall, the Spartans shot 31% from the floor, compared to the Flames 40%.
Chanette Hicks led all Spartans with 18 points scored, while also leading the team with four assists.
La'Deja James added nine points for the Spartans, along with four rebounds and two steals.
De'Janaire Deas and
Blaire Thomas controlled the glass for the Spartans, snagging six rebounds each.
Ashtyn Baker led the Flames with 19 points, while Ria Gulley facilitated their offense with nine assists. Keyen Green was close to a double-double for the Flames with nine points and 11 rebounds.
It was a one possession game up until halfway through the first quarter. With the score at 13-10, the Flames went on a 8-1 run in the end of the first quarter and into the second quarter to open up a double-digit lead.
Norfolk State trailed 37-26 heading into halftime, but outscored the Flames in the third quarter to cut into Liberty's lead. NSU went on a seven-point run highlighted by
Shekinah Howard, who scored four of her eight points during the Spartan's third quarter run.
Danyael Goodhope came up with two steals off the bench in the third quarter as well. Back-to-back layups from James and
Armani Franklin closed out the third quarter with the Spartans only down 49-42.
Rebounding gave the Flames the edge in the fourth and decisive quarter, outrebounding the Spartans 19-7 and scoring six second-chance points. At that point, Liberty opened up its largest lead of the game with only 38 seconds remaining in the game. The Flames outscored the Spartans 18-6 in the quarter.
The Spartan's trademark defense was still in display despite the loss, with a total of 10 steals and 17 forced turnovers. Franklin led the Spartan's with three steals in just 10 minutes of action.
The Spartans will travel to West Virginia to take on Marshall University at 1 p.m. on Saturday, before heading back home to face University of Virginia Lynchburg at Echols Hall on Thursday, Nov. 14.
