NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team put an emphatic close to its nonconference schedule on Monday evening, cruising past Washington Adventist 105-42.
 
Freshmen Melo Baines and Jordan Leaks each achieved career scoring highs with 16 and 13 points, respectively. Brian Moore led the Spartans with 20 points, while Kuluel Mading recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double double.
 
The Spartans set the tone with a dominant start, scoring the game's first 10 points. Mading logged a 3-pointer and dunk to get things going, before Sin'Cere McMahon made a 3-pointer and Moore scored at the rim.
 
WAU responded with a 7-2 swing, temporarily slowing down the Spartans' momentum. McMahon connected from deep to get the home team back on track, however, before Jaylani Darden pushed the gap back to double digits with a couple of baskets.
 
Coming off the bench, Leaks showed flashes of the high school stardom he brought from Phoebus. The redshirt freshman drained three triples in a span of a few minutes, comfortably surpassing several of his career marks before halftime.
 
Mading reached double figures on an and-one finish, before Dramane Camara knocked down a 3-pointer in transition. The Spartans headed to the locker room with a 60-28 advantage.
 
Chris Fields Jr. bullied his way to the rim for his first bucket of the night, as the Spartans continued to attack the basket in bunches. He stole the ball in the backcourt a few minutes later, taking it to the hoop himself for a two-handed slam.
 
Baines knocked down a turnaround jump shot, scoring inside on the Spartans next possession to give himself eight points for the night. He knocked down a pair of free throws soon after to reach double figures for the first time in his young career.
 
Camara drained another 3-pointer to give the Spartans a 93-33 lead with under seven minutes remaining. Moore passed the 20-point mark for the eighth time this season, giving Norfolk State 100 total points for the first time since a Nov. 6 matchup against Virginia University of Lynchburg.
 
Checking The Box Score

• Brian Moore Jr. led the Spartans with 20 points, adding eight rebounds and seven assists as well
• Kuluel Mading recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double double
• Melo Baines and Jordan Leaks also scored in double figures with 16 and 11 points, respectively
• The Spartans shot 38-of-64 from the field (59.4 percent)
• Norfolk State shot 11-of-24 (45.8 percent) from behind the arc
• Norfolk State's bench outscored Washington Adventist's 43-14
• The Spartans never trailed on Monday

 
News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 13-8 with the win
• Washington Adventist dropped to 6-11 with the loss
• Melo Baines and Jordan Leaks recorded career-highs with 16 and 13 points, respectively
• Kuluel Mading recorded a 20-point, 11-rebound double double, his first double double in a Spartan uniform

 
UP NEXT
 
Norfolk State resumes MEAC play on Saturday, Jan. 25 with arguably the most pivotal matchup of the season thus far. The Spartans face off against Howard (8-11, 3-0 MEAC), the only MEAC team unbeaten in conference play at 12:30 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.