GREENSBORO, N.C. --- Sophomore guard
Da'Brya Clark's 18 points helped lift the Spartans to a 68-59 victory against North Carolina A&T Sunday afternoon.
Clark went 6-9 from the floor, including two 3-pointers. She also tallied four assists, four steals, and two rebounds.
Senior forward
Kierra Wheeler scored 13 points while grabbing five rebounds. She also recorded four blocks and three steals.
Graduate guard
Diamond Johnson and junior forward
Da'naijah Williams both scored in double figures for NSU with 11 points each.
NSU opened the contest with a 7-2 run capped off by an
Anjanae Richardson layup. The Spartans continued to extend their advantage, going up by nine points with a Wheeler layup. A pair of free throws from Maleia Bracone trimmed the NSU lead down to five with 1:36 remaining in the first quarter at 13-8.
Wheeler got the Spartans going in the second quarter with an offensive rebound and putback. Norfolk State gained its first double-digit advantage of the contest at 12 points with Johnson nailing a 3-pointer.
Four straight points from Jordyn Dorsey got the Aggies within seven points before Wheeler knocked down a layup, got fouled, and drained the free throw to put the Spartans back up by 10. The Aggies ended the half on a 7-2 run, giving the Spartans a 29-23 lead heading into the locker room.
Clark scored the first eight points of the second half for the Spartans, helping build their advantage back up to 10 points. The two teams traded baskets before five quick points from the Aggies cut the lead to 38-33 with 4:53 left in the third quarter. NSU ended the quarter on a 6-2 run capped off with a Williams fastbreak layup.
Senior forward
Makoye Diawara hit a layup early in the fourth, giving NSU a 10-point edge. North Carolina A&T wouldn't let Norfolk State gain the momentum, answering right back with a 3-pointer following the layup.
Back-to-back baskets from Williams and Wheeler helped the Spartans regain an 11-point lead. NSU gained its largest lead of the game, following a 3-pointer from Clark and a layup from Johnson, forcing an NCA&T timeout with 2:00 minutes left to play. Richardson put the game away with a 3-pointer with 36 seconds left to play, allowing NSU to pick up its 10th win of the season.
Checking the Box Score
News & Notes
- Norfolk State improved to 10-3 with the win
- North Carolina A&T fell to 3-6 with the loss
- NCA&T still leads the all-time series 23-19
- Norfolk State picked up its first win at North Carolina A&T since March 1, 2011
Up Next
Norfolk State will return to action on Wednesday, Dec. 18th against Drexel. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Echols Hall.
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