ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. – For the second straight day, the Norfolk State men's basketball team made a spirited late rally, but this time it was not enough to pull out a win as Drexel held on to top the Spartans 53-49 in the championship game of the Boardwalk Battle on Saturday evening at Boardwalk Hall.

The Spartans (4-10) cut an 11-point deficit to four in the closing minute but couldn't complete the comeback against the Dragons (7-6) despite a game-high 17 points from guard Joe Bryant Jr.

Friday, the Spartans rallied from 11 down to force overtime and eventually beat Bowling Green. Saturday, the Spartans found themselves in a nearly identical situation. Zach Walton's layup with 5:13 left to play gave Drexel a 51-40 edge, but NSU would rally. Bryant hit a jumper and then notched a steal which led to a 3-pointer by Friday's hero, Kashaun Hicks, that cut NSU's deficit to 51-45 with 3:48 on the clock.

The Spartans held the Dragons scoreless on their next two possessions, and Bryant sank two free throws with 1:33 remaining to bring NSU within 51-47. The Spartans got two more defensive stops, but misfired on two jumpers on their next two possessions. Camren Wynter hit two free throws with eight seconds left to seal the win for Drexel, which won despite not making a field goal in the final 5:13.

Both teams struggled to find their offensive footing in the first half. The Spartans missed seven of their first eight shots but forced Drexel to miss 11 of its first 14. Still, it was enough for the Dragons to hold the early lead in a defensive battle.

The teams shot identically in the first half, making 7-of-26 from the field (27 percent). The Dragons did shoot 10-of-12 from the line and grabbed 11 first-half offensive rebounds to carry a 25-19 lead into halftime.

NSU guard Steven Whitley scored on a layup 10 seconds into the second half to cut the Drexel lead to 25-21. But the Dragons scored the next seven points to push the lead into double digits, where it remained much of the second half. Matey Juric's 3-pointer with 13:30 left gave the Dragons their largest lead of the night, at 42-27.

NSU would rally thanks in large part to Bryant and Whitley, who scored 23 of NSU's 30 second-half points. The Spartans connected on 52 percent of their field goals in the second half, but fell just short.

Sam Green and James Butler scored 10 points each to lead Drexel. Butler also had 13 rebounds (seven offensive) to tally a double-double. Walton and Wynter added nine points apiece.

The Spartans have a week off for the holidays before returning to action at Stony Brook on Dec. 29, NSU's final non-conference game of the season.