NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team got back in the win column in emphatic fashion on Monday night, dominating from the opening tip in a 108-52 victory over Southern Virginia at Echols Hall.
 
George Beale Jr. led the Spartans with a season-high 16 points shooting 7-of-10 from the floor. Six Spartans scored in double figures: Beale, Kuluel Mading (15), Jaylani Darden (14), Chris Fields Jr. (13), Daryl Anderson (11), and Daman Tate (10).
 
After both teams came up empty on their first few possessions, Darden got the Spartans on the board with a smooth 3-pointer. A pair of inside baskets from Mading helped NSU jump out to a 9-2 lead from there.
 
Thomas woke the crowd up with a swift steal and ensuing dunk at the other end, before Anderson knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to expand the lead to double digits. Beale drained made his first 3-point attempt of the season, and Tyrese Jenkins got in on the action with a successful shot from behind the arc moments later.
 
Beale got comfortable quickly, getting to double figures with two more inside scores and a 3-pointer within a matter of minutes. He tallied 12 of his 16 points in the first half,
 
Norfolk State used a timeout with 23 seconds remaining in the opening period, and it paid off. Daman Tate knocked down a 3-poitner out of the break, before Fields came up with a steal a few seconds later, knocking down a mid-range jump shot as the buzzer sounded to give the Spartans a 56-23 advantage at halftime.
 
Tyrel Bladen got the second half going with back-to-back baskets, while Darden contributed a tough finish and a corner 3-pointer. A Mading three-point play extended the advantage to 72-29, before Christian Ings kept the momentum going with his first successful 3-pointer of the night.
 
Jack Doumbia got in on the offensive barrage, knocking down a layup and mid-range jumper on back-to-back possessions. Tate picked off a lazy pass soon after, scoring at the other end with ease.
 
Beale and Fields scored several fastbreak points in the final minutes, putting the finishing touches on the Spartans' 56-point victory.
 
Checking The Box Score

• George Beale Jr. led the Spartans with a season-best 16 points, shooting 7-of-10 from the floor
• Six Spartans scored in double figures: Beale, Kuluel Mading (15), Jaylani Darden (14), Chris Fields Jr. (13), Daryl Anderson (11), and Daman Tate (10)
• Darden shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the field
• Mading led the Spartans on the glass with nine rebounds
• Norfolk State shot 44-of-74 (59.5 percent) from the floor and 11-of-27 (40.7 percent) from behind the arc
• NSU's bench outscored Southern Virginia's 63-23
• The Spartans scored 29 points on the fastbreak, while holding Southern Virginia to just one fastbreak point
• Norfolk State never trailed on Monday

News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 8-5 with the victory
• Southern Virginia dropped to 3-7 with the loss
• Monday marked the first-ever meeting between the Norfolk State and Southern Virginia men's basketball programs
• Norfolk State's 108 points marked the team's highest scoring performance since tallying 109 points against Virginia Lynchburg on Nov. 7, 2022.
• The 56-point victory tied the Spartans' fifth-largest winning margin of the program's Division I era
• Norfolk State's 44 made field goals tied the team's Division I record
• NSU improved to 32-1 under head coach Robert Jones when five or more Spartans score in double figures

UP NEXT
 
After the dominant performance, Norfolk State returns right back to the road for a pair of matchups in El Paso, Texas. The Spartans will open their time in the WestStar Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational against UTEP on Wednesday, Dec. 20 at 9 p.m. EST.
 
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.