NORFOLK, Va. --- The Norfolk State women's basketball team outscored Drexel 27-6 in the fourth quarter to earn a 68-56 victory at Echols Hall Wednesday night.
 
Senior forward Kierra Wheeler led the Spartans with a double-double, scoring 12 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to go with three blocks and three steals.
 
Sophomore guard Anjanae Richardson (14) and graduate guard Diamond Johnson (11) also scored in double figures for the Spartans.
 
Norfolk State opened the contest on a 6-2 run, capped off by a fastbreak layup from Makoye Diawara. Richardson drained a 3-pointer on a dish from Da'Brya Clark to give NSU the five-point edge midway through the first quarter. Wheeler drove into the paint for a layup with 2:05 late in the first quarter to give NSU an 11-6 lead.
 
Richardson gave NSU its largest advantage of the second quarter at six points with a fastbreak layup. Drexel went on a 5-0 run to pull within one before Molly Lavin drained a free throw, tying the game up at 15.
 
The two teams traded baskets for most of the second quarter with neither team gaining much momentum. Wheeler put the Spartans up two with 39 seconds left in the half before Cara McCormack hit a go-ahead three-pointer, giving Drexel the one-point edge at halftime.
 
Drexel came out of the locker room, building its largest lead of the game behind a 10-0 run forcing Norfolk State to use a timeout. Johnson showed off her range, draining a 3-pointer to stop the DU run.
 
Drexel continued to dominate the third quarter with Amaris Baker hitting a 3-pointer, giving the Dragons a 47-37 advantage with 1:28 left in the period.
 
Wheeler attempted to bring the Spartans some momentum before the end of the quarter by making a layup, getting fouled, and draining the free throw to cut the lead to six. The Dragons capped off the third quarter with a 3-pointer as time expired.
 
The Dragons scored the first basket of the fourth quarter before the Spartans went on their largest run of the game. NSU tied the game up with 6:31 left to play on a fastbreak layup from Skye Robinson.
 
Norfolk State capped off the 16-0 run in the fourth quarter with a second-chance layup from Johnson, giving the Spartans a 60-53 advantage with 2:30 left to play.
 
Johnson scored six of the last eight points for NSU, including a pair of free throws with 22 seconds remaining to help extend Norfolk State's home winning streak to 18 straight wins.
 
Checking the Box Score

• Senior Kierra Wheeler led NSU with 21 points and 12 rebounds
• Sophomore guard Anjanae Richardson (14) and graduate guard Diamond Johnson (11) both scored in double figures
• NSU outrebounded DU 41-32
• The game featured two lead changes, with the score being tied seven times
• Norfolk State shot 52.9% in the fourth quarter (9-17)
• NSU overcame a 12-point deficit in the fourth quarter, going on a 16-0 run
• The Spartans outscored the Dragons 27-6 in the fourth quarter

 
News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 11-3 with the win
• Drexel fell to 3-6 with the loss
• NSU now leads the all-time series 2-1
• The Spartans' home-winning streak now stands at 18 straight victories
• Sophomore guard Da'Brya Clark grabbed a career-high eight rebounds
• Diamond Johnson has scored in double figures 13-of-14 games this season

Up Next 

Norfolk State will travel to No. 19 North Carolina on Saturday, Dec. 21. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m. in Chapel Hill, N.C. 
 
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