NORFOLK, Va. – The guard trio of Christian Ings, Jalen Hawkins and Joe Bryant Jr. scored 18 points apiece and Norfolk State outscored Morgan State by 18 after halftime to cruise to its fifth straight win, 82-62, on Monday night at Echols Hall.

The Spartans (14-4, 5-0 MEAC) shot 52 percent after halftime and held the Bears (6-10, 1-3) to 28 percent in the stanza to remain undefeated in the MEAC.

NSU scored 10 of the first 13 points of the game, with Kris Bankston connecting on a free throw to give the Spartans a seven-point lead just three minutes into the game. The Bears responded with an 8-0 burst, capped by an Isaiah Burke 3-pointer, to take their first lead of the night at 11-10.

That was the first of a total of six lead-changes in the half. A Hawkins fast-break basket gave NSU a 26-25 edge with 5:33 left in the period as the lead changed hands for the final time in the game. A one-handed alley-oop dunk by Ings off a feed from Bankston sent NSU into the half with the edge at 35-33.

The Spartans came out on fire to start the second half, scoring the first 11 points out of the locker room. Ings hit a triple, assisted on back-to-back 3-pointers by Hawkins, then converted an acrobatic layup to push the Spartans' lead to 46-33 with 17:26 left to play. De'Torrion Ware answered with a 3-pointer for MSU's first basket of the half, but the Spartans then held the Bears without a field goal for more than five minutes.

NSU continued to pull away. Terrance Jones made a corner trey to push NSU's lead to 21 at the midway point of the half. The lead swelled to as much as 27, 80-53, points after Bryant converted all three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt with 3:04 remaining.

NSU shot an even 50 percent (23-of-46) on the night, 44 (11-of-25) from 3-point range. The Spartans, meanwhile, limited MSU to 32 percent shooting for the game.

After committing 11 first-half turnovers, the Spartans had just four after intermission. They also outrebounded MSU 42-37.

Ings was 7-of-9 from the floor. He made both of his 3-pointers and both of his free throws and added four assists. Bryant did much of his damage at the line, making 11-of-12, and he led all players with six assists and also had two steals. Bankston chipped in nine points, eight rebounds and two blocks.

Lagio Grantsaan paced MSU with 14 points.

The Spartans hit the road for their next two games, starting with a 4 p.m. matchup Saturday at South Carolina State.