CHARLESTON, S.C. – Norfolk State women's basketball outscored College of Charleston 42-17 in the second half of an impressive 77-47 road victory on Sunday.
 
Kierra Wheeler led the way for the Spartans with a 14-point, 15-rebound double-double, racking up 10 boards on the offensive end. Deja Francis (11) and Camille Downs (10) also scored in double-figures, while Francis and Niya Fields both dished out five assists.
 
The Spartans actually got on the board before a single second had come off the clock. Charleston was assessed an administrative technical foul prior to the opening tip, and Francis knocked down the ensuing free throw.

Downs heated up quickly, scoring five of the Spartans' first eight points of the night. Crystal White, who finished with nine points on three 3-pointers, knocked one down from behind the arc to pull the Spartans within one point, before Wheeler, Da'naijah Williams, and Skye Robinson all added baskets in the final minutes of the opening period.
 
Trailing 17-18 to start the second quarter, NSU retook the lead with another deep shot from White. Five points from Mahoganie Williams within the span of a few minutes helped the Spartans stay ahead, before Downs and Francis accounted for the team's last six points of the period. NSU headed into the half holding a 35-30 edge.
 
Wheeler scored in the paint on the first possession of the third quarter, starting a 16-0 NSU run which turned the contest into a one-sided affair. The Spartans spread the wealth throughout the nearly seven-minute stretch, with Mahoganie Williams, Wheeler, Fields, Downs, Francis, and Robinson all contributing points. Charleston's first score of the half did not come until 1:48 remained in the third quarter.
 
White's final 3-pointer of the night gave NSU an 18-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but the Spartans weren't done. NSU scored the first 11 points of the final period, a stretch that included two jumpers from Da'naijah Williams and a pair of Wheeler layups.  
 
After NSU head coach Larry Vickers emptied his bench in the final minutes, redshirt freshman Tamiya Santos put the icing on the cake with one of the top night's top highlights. The guard drilled a 3-pointer while getting fouled, converting the ensuing free throw for a four-point play.
 
The Spartans shot 17-of-30 (56.7 percent) in the second half, going four-of-six (66.7 percent) on 3-point attempts. Meanwhile, the team held Charleston to 6-of-31 shooting from the field (19.4 percent) in those final two quarters.
 
The Cougars' 47 total points marked their lowest scoring performance since March 10, 2021, and tied their second-lowest field goal percentage (.281) since the start of the 2021-22 season.  
 
Norfolk State improves to 2-1 on the season heading into another road test. The Spartans face Appalachian State in Boone N.C. on Thursday, Nov. 17, with tip-off slated for 6:30 p.m.