NORFOLK, Va. --- Five Spartans scored in double-figures as the Norfolk State women's basketball team picked up an 82-66 win against Coppin State on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.
Senior forward
Kierra Wheeler led the Spartans with 19 points, adding 14 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and one block to her totals.
Anjanae Richardson (18),
Diamond Johnson (15),
Da'Brya Clark (13), and
Makoye Diawara (11) also scored in double-figures in the win.
The two teams opened the contest trading baskets back and forth with Clark draining a pair of free throws with four minutes left in the first quarter to gain a one-point lead. Johnson extended the NSU advantage to four points with a 3-pointer on the next possession. Coppin State ended the first quarter on a 7-0 run to gain the 14-12 edge.
Richardson sparked the Spartans' start in the second quarter with a coast-to-coast and-one driving layup. The Eagles kept fighting, gaining a three-point advantage with 8:41 left to play before halftime, following a 3-pointer from Niyah Gaston.
NSU went on an 8-2 run from there, capped off by a Wheeler bucket right under the hoop with 6:37 left in the half. Wheeler drained a layup with 31 seconds left in the half before Clark made a 3-pointer as time expired to give NSU a 37-31 lead entering halftime.
Norfolk State opened the second half on a 9-2 run to build its largest lead of the third quarter behind a steal from Wheeler, leading to a fastbreak layup on the other end from Diawara.
Coppin State trimmed the Norfolk State advantage down to single digits with 3:54 left to play in the third with a 3-pointer from Angel Jones. The Eagles continued to chip away at the deficit, but Johnson had other ideas, draining a 3-pointer with 16 seconds left to give NSU a 58-48 edge heading into the final quarter.
Neither team could gain momentum at the beginning of the fourth quarter, with both teams trading baskets for the first three minutes of the quarter. A pair of free throws from Diawara put NSU up by 13 with 7:21 left to play.
NSU used a key 7-0 run down the stretch of the game to help the Spartans pick up a 82-66 victory over the Eagles.
Checking the Box Score
News & Notes
- Norfolk State improved to 15-4 with the win (3-0 in the MEAC)
- Coppin State fell to 11-8 with the loss (2-1 in the MEAC)
- NSU extended its home winning streak to 20 straight games
- Coppin State still leads the all-time series 30-19
- Norfolk State has now won the last six meetings against Coppin State
- Five Spartans scored in double-figures for the first time since the team achieved the feat on Jan. 6, 2024 against South Carolina State
Up Next
Norfolk State will travel to Baltimore, Md., on Monday, Jan. 13 to take on Morgan State at 5:30 p.m.
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