SAVANNAH, Ga. – Norfolk State women's basketball coasted to its fourth straight victory on Tuesday night, fueled by a commanding performance by Makoye Diawara. The sophomore forward posted career highs of 21 points and 16 rebounds as the Spartans defeated UT Martin 70-55 at the Hostilo Hoops Community Classic.
 
Norfolk State's opening lineup provided all of the contributions the team would need, with 68 of the Spartans' 70 points scored by their five starters. Kierra Wheeler nearly tallied her fourth double-double of the season, posting 17 points and nine rebounds while shooting 7-of-10 (70 percent) from the floor.
 
While NSU has leaned on excellent second halves in many of its previous matchups early in the year, the team got off to a commanding start on Tuesday, jumping out to a 13-0 advantage. A pair of free throws from Camille Downs capped off a 21-4 opening run, before UT Martin knocked down a 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the quarter, trimming the Skyhawks' deficit to 14.
 
The NSU offense stalled a bit in the second quarter, scoring just eight points in the period, with six of them coming from Wheeler. The Spartans took a nine-point lead into halftime.
 
UT Martin started the second half with an and-one sequence, before Seygan Robins knocked down a pair of 3-pointers a few minutes later to pull the Skyhawks within three. They wouldn't get any closer than that, however, as the Spartans responded with an 18-0 run to take total control of the game, highlighted by a Diawara 3-pointer and multiple Wheeler layups.
 
Niya Fields knocked down a 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter, extending NSU's lead to 22. The sophomore point guard enjoyed a standout night on both ends of the floor, tying her season-high of 11 points and tying a career-best five steals.
 
Diawara made another layup in the game's closing seconds, finishing the night 75 percent (8-of-12) from the field.  She became the first Spartan to record at least 20 points and 16 rebounds in a single game since Kayla Roberts' 26-point, 25-rebound performance against Hampton on Jan. 31, 2015.
 
NSU wraps up its time in Savannah tomorrow against Marshall, with tipoff slated for 7 p.m.