CHICAGO, Ill. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team received a pivotal push from the defending MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Performer on Saturday afternoon, defeating Chicago State 76-68 at the Jones Convocation Center.
 
Kierra Wheeler, a Minneapolis, Minn. product, put on a terrific performance in her hometown earlier this week against the Golden Gophers. She continued that dominance in the Midwest with a powerful double-double against CSU, posting career highs of 29 points and 15 rebounds on Saturday.
 
Wheeler knocked down a pair of inside shots in the first two minutes of play, but Chicago State answered the challenge well, taking an 11-6 lead after multiple successful jumpers. Skye Robinson hustled for a second-chance score, before Danielle Robinson converted from mid-range to pull the Spartans within one.
 
Norfolk State regained the lead in the final moments of the first quarter, after Da'naijah Williams came up with a steal and Da'Brya Clark took advantage at the other end with a 3-pointer.
 
The Spartans would lead the rest of the day. Williams registered a second-chance score to start the second quarter, before Wheeler got back in the action with a successful hook shot. Robinson hit another close jumper, giving Norfolk State its first double-digit lead of the afternoon.
 
Wheeler displayed her increased range, draining a step-back jumper and a pullup on the next possession. Clark provided another boost before the buzzer, recording a steal-and-score in the final seconds of the first half.
 
An and-one finish for Wheeler opened the third quarter, only needing six seconds to produce the highlight play. The Spartans remained patient in their half court offense, earning three consecutive layups for a 6-0 run midway through the period.
 
Chicago State's Jacia Cunningham knocked down a 3-pointer to slow the Spartan burst, but Makoye Diawara scored a three-point play the old fashioned way soon after. NSU entered the fourth quarter with a 57-42 advantage.
 
The Cougars could not find an answer defensively for Wheeler, who scored on the Spartans' first two possessions of the final period. The baskets extended Norfolk State's lead to 19, but a series of deep jump shots helped Chicago State cut the deficit to 10 in a matter of minutes.
 
Cunningham gave the Spartans trouble as she began to heat up from behind the arc, before Josie Hill pulled the Cougars within six with a fastbreak layup. Clark knocked down a crucial 3-pointer at the other end, putting a stop to Chicago State's 9-0 run.
 
The shot gave Norfolk State some much-needed breathing room, before Niya Fields eventually found Diawara in the paint with just over a minute to play, giving the Spartans' a comfortable 10-point advantage.
 
Williams provided the icing on the cake, shrugging off an opposing foul for a closing layup in the final seconds of regulation.

 
Checking The Box Score

• Norfolk State junior Kierra Wheeler led NSU with a dominant 29-point, 15-rebound double double
• Wheeler set a new career high in points, and tied her career-best in rebounds
• Wheeler shot 11-of-19 from the floor, adding a block and a steal as well
• NSU freshman Da'Brya Clark also scored in double figures, tallying 13 points on a 5-of-9 shooting performance
• Clark also tallied five assists and three steals
• Niya Fields recorded team highs of seven assists and six steals
• NSU outscored Chicago State 40-20 in the paint
• Chicago State shot 5-of-11 (45.5 percent) from behind the arc, holding Norfolk State to 2-of-10 (20.0 percent) in that category
• Clark knocked down both of Norfolk State's 3-point field goals.

News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 7-2 on the season with the victory
• Chicago State dropped to 0-13
• Norfolk State is now 2-0 all-time against Chicago State, the wins coming during the 2022-23 and 2023-24 campaigns
• NSU set a new season-high of 17 steals
• Wheeler's 29 points marked the most by an NSU player since Deja Francis scored 32 against Coppin State on Jan. 22, 2022
• Wheeler's 15 rebounds marked the most by an NSU player since Makoye Diawara recorded 16 against UT Martin on Nov. 7, 2022

UP NEXT
 
Norfolk State gets over a week to rest after the victory, returning to action at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10. The Spartans will face Wake Forest (2-5) on the road that day, which will air on ACC Network Extra.
 
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.