NORFOLK, Va. | Three Norfolk State University women's basketball players finished in double figures as the Spartans got back into the win column on Wednesday afternoon with a 70-52 rout of William & Mary at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall.

Norfolk State (10-3) snapped a two-game losing streak with the victory as the Spartans led by nine at the half and pulled away in the third and fourth quarters for the win.

Deja Francis, Niya Fields and Camille Downs each led the way for NSU with 12 points. Francis added four rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots, while Fields recorded game-high seven assists, with two boards and two assists. Downs registered four assists, three boards, two steals and one block.

Riley Casey was the lone William & Mary player in double figures, recording 15 points, along with one assist and one rebound.

The Spartans started strong, opening up a 10-3 lead after a jumper by Fields with 7:27 left in the first period.

The Tribe (5-6) used a 12-5 run over the next five minutes, tying the game at 15 after a bucket by Kayla Rolph with 1:52 left, but a Crystal White 3-pointer at the other end pushed NSU back in front, 18-15, with 1:40 remaining in the first.

White's trey sparked the Spartans to a 10-4 run, capped by a Downs 3-pointer, as NSU stretched the advantage to 28-19 with just under five minutes left in the first half.

William & Mary got a jumper by Caitlin Wingertzahn with just over a minute to play, cutting the deficit to 30-24, but White's 3-pointer at the other end sent Norfolk State into the break with a 33-24 advantage. 

The Spartans opened the second half much like the first as Makoye Diawara scored on back-to-back layup as NSU extended the margin to 37-24 with 8:44 remaining.

William & Mary closed the gap to 37-29, but baskets by Diawara and Fields pushed the lead to 41-29 with 6:34 left in the third.

The Tribe continued to cut the deficit, trailing 43-37 after a three-point play by Casey Riley with just over three minutes left in the quarter.

However, buckets by Diawara and Danaijah Williams quickly extended Norfolk State's lead to 49-39 and free throws by Francis sent the Spartans into the final quarter with a 51-40 advantage.

NSU began the fourth on a 13-3 run, capped by a Downs driving layup, extending the lead to 64-43 with  5:43 remaining.

The Tribe could not recover from the huge deficit as Norfolk State snapped its two-game losing streak and remained unbeaten at home.

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

• Norfolk State shot 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the field and 11-of-13 (84.6 percent) from the free-throw line
• Deja Franics registered 12 points, four rebounds, four assists and three blocked shots
• Niya Fields tossed in 12 points, with a game-high seven assists, two boards and two assists
• Camille Downs chipped in 12 points, four assists, three boards, two steals and one block
• The Spartans finished with 32 points in the paint, 19 bench points, 18 points off 19 William & Mary turnovers, 16 second-chance points and eight fast break points
• William & Mary went 21-of-60 (35.0 percent) shooting and 3-of-4 (75.0 percent) from the charity stripe
• Riley Casey registered 15 points, along with one assist and one rebound.
• The Tribe finished with 20 points in the paint, 16 bench points, 17 points off 18 Norfolk State turnovers, 10 fast break points and nine second-chance points

UP NEXT 
Norfolk State returns to the road for its final game before Christmas as the Spartans visit UNC Wilmington. Tip-off against the Seahawks is scheduled for 3 p.m. at Trask Coliseum. The game will be streamed live on Flohoops.

For complete coverage of Norfolk State athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @NSUSpartans (Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.