NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team coasted to a season-opening home victory on Monday evening, defeating Penn State Wilkes-Barre 102-55 at Echols Hall.
 
A long-lasting tandem led the Spartans on Monday: Jamarii Thomas and Kuluel Mading, former high school teammates making their NSU debuts. Thomas led the Spartans with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Mading posted a career-high 15 points with seven rebounds.
 
Allen Betrand was the third NSU player to score in double figures against the Mountain Lions, posting 12 points on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting night from the field. Gilbert Brown made the most of his minutes off the bench, facilitating the offense with a team-high seven assists.
 
Thomas got the season going with an open 3-pointer, before Jaylani Darden scored on the fastbreak moments later. Betrand knocked down another deep three, but Penn State Wilkes Barre kept things tight in the early minutes, trailing 10-7 after Teequan Holley's layup.
 
Tyrese Jenkins extended the lead to double-digits with a 3-pointer, before Mading knocked one down from deep as well. Daryl Anderson got in on the barrage from behind the arc next, pushing the gap to 16.
 
After having his 2022-23 season cut short by a devastating ACL tear, Christian Ings completed his perseverant return to the court on Monday. He wasted no time making an impact, converting a layup within a minute of checking into the game and swiping a steal for two more points seconds later. Ings finished the night with six points and two rebounds in just over 10 minutes of action.
 
Thomas displayed his bounce late in the first half, skying high for a two-handed slam after coming up with a steal at the other end. The Spartans went into the break with a 60-30 advantage.
 
The Spartans caught fire to start the next period, scoring the first 15 points of the second half. Mading converted a Betrand steal with a fastbreak dunk, before Anderson provided a steal-and-slam of his own a minute later.
 
Freshman Chris Fields Jr. made a strong impression in his collegiate debut, getting some late minutes in his first game at Echols Hall. The Petersburg product sliced his way into the lane, setting up a rim-rocking dunk that brought the Norfolk State bench to its feet.
 
Checking The Box Score

• Jamarii Thomas led NSU with 20 points and seven rebounds in his first official game as a Spartan
• Kuluel Mading contributed 15 points and seven rebounds
• Allen Betrand also scored in double figures, tallying 12 points on a 4-of-5 shooting day
• Gilbert brown recorded a team-best seven assists off the bench
• The Spartans shot 9-of-24 (37.5 percent) from behind the arc
• Norfolk State had 36 fast break points and 54 points in the paint
• The Spartans held Penn State Wilkes Barre to four second chance points

News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 1-0 with the win
• Jamarii Thomas and Kuluel Mading paced the Spartans with 20 and 15 points, respectively. Although playing their first game together in a Norfolk State uniform, the pair were high school teammates at The Burlington School, winning a state championship
• Mading's 15 points marked a new career high
• The 47-point victory was Norfolk State's eighth-largest winning margin in the program's Division I era

Up Next
 
Norfolk State returns to action on Thursday for another home matchup at Echols Hall, facing Apprentice School at 7 p.m.
 
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