DOVER, Del. – Norfolk State drained 13 shots from beyond the arc and got a 24-point night from senior Jermaine Bishop in a 79-73 win over Delaware State in MEAC men's basketball action at Memorial Hall.
 
Bishop had six of the team's 3-pointers and shot 9-of-18 overall with seven rebounds and three assists. He led three players in double figures as NSU maintained third place in the MEAC at 11-4 with its second win of the year over DSU.
 
The Spartans never trailed and led by as much as 14 as they improved to .500 overall on the season at 15-15. The Hornets got as close as one point with six and a half minutes left in the game and were within a single possession several times in the last 10 minutes, including with less than 30 seconds left in the game. But a six-point halftime lead held up for the Spartans as Bishop had 18 of his 24 points in the first half.
 
Coupled with wins by North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central on Monday night, and NSU's losses to both those schools earlier this year, the Spartans locked up the third seed in next week's MEAC Tournament. With a win on Thursday in the regular season finale, they can clinch a share of second place with Thursday's N.C. A&T-NCCU loser.
 
In addition to Bishop, juniors Devante Carter (14 points, 6-of-9 shooting, six rebounds) and Kyonze Chavis (season-high 13 points, 3-of-5 shooting) also scored in double figures for the Spartans.
 
Delaware State (4-25, 3-12 MEAC) was led by Myles Carter, who made all five of his 3-point attempts and 8-of-11 overall for a 22-point night off the bench.
 
Bishop hit a 3-pointer on NSU's first two possessions and had eight points to start the game. The Spartans never led by more than eight points until 3-pointers from junior Efstratios Kalogerias and Bishop gave them a 30-18 lead with less than six minutes to go in the first half.
 
Bishop had 10 of the team's 12 points during a five-minute stretch, although the Hornets scored 10 of the last 12 points of the half. Their 10-2 run during those last three minutes of the first period allowed them to slice NSU's lead to 41-35 at the break.
 
Despite the cold finish to the half, NSU still shot nearly 49 percent in the first 20 minutes of play.
 
Sophomore Joe Bryant Jr., meanwhile, started the second half with two 3-pointers to push the team's lead to 12. Another trey from Bishop again put NSU up by 12 three and a half minutes into the half, but Myles Carter connected on a deep range shot less than a minute later.
 
DSU trailed by single digits from then on out. Carter's 3-pointer started a 10-0 run that made it 50-48 at the 12:28 mark. Chavis had a pair of buckets and two free throws for seven-point leads, but Myles Carter completed a four-point play around a media timeout with 6:39 to go.
 
NSU's lead was just 62-61 at that point. Freshman Daryl Anderson and Bishop each knocked down long range shots to keep NSU ahead, and Anderson had another one with 1:45 to go for a five-point edge.
 
A fastbreak layup from Kalogerias on a steal and pass from Bishop made it a seven-point game with less than a minute to go. Myles Carter again got the Hornets to within two, but Chavis had two free throws and a fastbreak dunk to hold off DSU.
 
Bryant and Kalogerias each had nine points. Kalogerias tied his career high in points and grabbed a career-best seven rebounds with three assists and two blocks.
 
The Hornets made 10 3-pointers on the night and shot 39 percent overall. Along with Myles Carter, Pinky Wiley (16 points, six rebounds) and John Crosby (12 points, six rebound, five assists) also scored in double figures for DSU.
 
Norfolk State outscored the Hornets 18-8 in fastbreak points.
 
NSU will finish out the regular season on Thursday at Morgan State at 7:30 p.m.