HAMPTON, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team finished with authority against Hampton on Sunday afternoon, winning the Battle of the Bay 59-45 at the HU Convocation Center.
 
Norfolk State improved to 5-0 with the victory, the Spartans' best start since the 1995-96 season. Three of Norfolk State's wins this year have come against the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
 
Several Spartans got busy on the glass, as Kierra Wheeler lead the team with 15 points and nine rebounds. Da'Naijah Williams posted seven points and nine rebounds, while Makoye Diawara tallied nine points and eight boards.
 
The Spartans struggled to get a rhythm going offensively early but held strong on the defensive end to keep things tight. Diawara made a putback layup to get NSU on the board first, but Hampton responded back with a 3-pointer on the other side of the floor.
 
Da'Brya Clark gave NSU a one-point advantage with a 3-pointer off a Niya Fields pass, but four unanswered Hampton scores gave the Pirates a 13-6 lead with under two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
 
The Spartans stayed poised, battling back within moments. Fields knocked down a shot from behind the arc, before Da'Naijah Williams earned a successful trip to the free throw line with a strong rebound. Fields stole a lofty pass in the final seconds of the opening period, converting the layup to tie the game 13-13.
 
Paris Mullins scored in the paint on NSU's first possession of the second quarter, bringing Norfolk State's scoring run to 9-0. Aisha Dabo stopped the swing with a mid-range jumper for the Pirates, before Williams and Hampton's Camryn Hill traded 3-pointers within quick succession.
 
Wheeler, who had been held scoreless in the first quarter, knocked down three shots in the final three minutes of the first half, sending the Spartans to the break with a 26-21 advantage.
 
The dominance from Wheeler continued into the second half, scoring the first six points of the third quarter. The only thing that could hinder her was foul trouble, subbing out of the game after picking up her third and fourth personal fouls.
 
With the Spartans ahead by 11, Hampton made its way back into the ball game with a wave of inside scores. Williams knocked down a turnaround jumper to slow down the burst, but the Pirates tied things up by the end of the quarter with a 9-3 closing run.
 
Freshman Anjanae Richardson, who drained a game-winning shot over Drexel earlier this season, continued her late-game heroics on Sunday. The Portsmouth native started the fourth quarter with a strong layup and a quick 3-pointer, giving the Spartans' some much-needed breathing room.
 
Back-to-back baskets by Makoye Diawara expanded Norfolk State's advantage to seven, but the Pirates pulled within three with a pair of scores. Fields and Richardson knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to push NSU back ahead by nine.
 
Wheeler expanded Norfolk State's lead to double digits with a second-chance layup, as the Spartans stifled the Pirates down the stretch for their fifth victory of the 2023-24 season.
 
Checking The Box Score

• Norfolk State junior Kierra Wheeler led NSU with 15 points and nine rebounds
• Da'Naijah Williams posted seven points and nine rebounds
• Makoye Diawara tallied nine points and eight rebounds
• There were eight lead changes in Sunday's game
• Norfolk State recorded 28 points in the paint, while Hampton recorded 18
• Norfolk State tallied 15 second-chance points, holding Hampton to four
• The Spartans shot 22-of-61 (36.1 percent) from the floor, while Hampton shot 16-of-39 (41.0 percent)

News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 5-0 with the victory, the Spartans' first 5-0 start since the 1995-96 season
• NSU is now 41-58 in the all-time series with Hampton, winning three of the last four matchups
• Three of NSU's wins this year have come against Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) opponents: William & Mary, Drexel, and Hampton
• Norfolk State Athletics now 4-0 in Battle of the Bay matchups this year, picking up wins in football, volleyball, men's basketball and women's basketball 

 
UP NEXT
 
Norfolk State now heads to Coral Gables for the Miami Thanksgiving Tournament, hosted by the University of Miami. Norfolk State opens play at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 24 against East Tennessee State.
 
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.