NORFOLK, Va. – Joe Bryant Jr. and Kris Bankston helped Norfolk State shake off a slow start by scoring 18 and 15 points, respectively, to propel the Norfolk State men's basketball team to a 79-56 win over Bridgewater on Tuesday at Echols Hall.

Bryant hit 7-of-13 from the floor and Bankston was a perfect 7-of-7, including three thunderous dunks for the Spartans, who overcame a 33-29 halftime deficit.

Bankston made two buckets and Bryant hit a 3 to key a 9-0 run to open the game for NSU. But the undersized Eagles hit seven 3-pointers in the first half and NSU committed 10 turnovers as Bridgewater rallied. The visitors used a 15-3 run to close the half to take a surprising lead into the intermission.

Bankston started the second half with another one-handed flush in the paint, and Bryant's triple just more than two minutes into the second half gave NSU the lead for good at 36-33. NSU started the second half on a 17-1 run and did not allow a second-half field goal until Andy Pack hit a 3-pointer five minutes into the period.

NSU held Bridgewater to just 30.8 percent shooting in the second half (8-of-26). NSU, conversely, shot 62.5 percent (20-of-32) en route to outscoring the Eagles 50-23 after halftime.

Bankston added 14 rebounds for a double-double in his first game at NSU. Another new Spartan, Christian Ings, added 14 points. Both Nyzaiah Chambers and Dana Tate Jr. scored eight apiece, with Tate scoring all of his in the second half.

For the game, NSU outrebounded Bridgewater 46-25 and shot 55.6 percent from the floor.

The Spartans are next in action when they host Penn State Wilkes-Barre on Thursday at 7 p.m.