NORFOLK, Va. --- The Norfolk State women's basketball team dominated both sides of the ball, cruising past Coppin State 72-33 in the MEAC Semifinals on Friday afternoon.
With the win, Norfolk State punched its ticket to the MEAC Championship game for the fourth consecutive season.
Senior forward
Kierra Wheeler led the Spartans with 22 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists, and two blocks to her totals.
Diamond Johnson put together a strong performance, scoring 17 points while grabbing eight rebounds.
Da'Brya Clark also scored in double figures with 14 points.
Wheeler dominated the early part of the first quarter, scoring the first eight points for the Spartans. Johnson capped off a 10-0 scoring run with a lay in, forcing the Eagles to take a timeout with 5:51 to play in the first period.
NSU continued its offensive attack following the break with a pair of jumpers from Johnson and Williams, extending the lead to 11 points. Angel Jones halted the Spartans' momentum, sinking a pair of jumpers and cutting the NSU advantage down to seven.
Norfolk State produced an 8-0 run to open the second period, behind five points from Johnson. Laila Lawrence put Coppin State on her back, scoring all six points of the quarter for the Eagles.
Makoye Diawara sunk a 3-pointer with 41 seconds left, allowing NSU to take a 29-13 edge into the locker room.
The Spartans opened the second half with a 7-0 run, capped off by a fastbreak layup from Wheeler. NSU continued its dominance on both sides of the ball following the break, allowing just two points over the next four minutes while scoring eight.
The two teams traded baskets down to the end of the third quarter, with Norfolk State holding the 52-20 advantage heading into the final period.
NSU hit three straight 3-pointers to start the fourth quarter, including back-to-back triples from Clark. Cire Worley halted the momentum with a jumper from just inside the paint with 6:15 left to play in the game.
Clark drained her third 3-pointer of the fourth quarter, following it up with a pair of free throws to push the lead to 35. NSU closed the day on a 5-0 run, securing its spot in Saturday's MEAC Championship game.
Checking the Box Score
- Kierra Wheeler led NSU with 22 points, adding nine rebounds, three assists and two steals
- Diamond Johnson also put together a strong performance, scoring 17 points and grabbing eight rebounds
- Da'Brya Clark also scored in double-figures with 14 points
- Norfolk State held Coppin State to just 14 points in the first half
- NSU out rebounded CSU 51-39
- Friday's game featured one lead change and one tie
- The Spartans' bench provided a spark, scoring 23 points to the Eagles' four points
News & Notes
- Norfolk State advanced to the MEAC Tournament Championship for the fourth consecutive season
- NSU improved to 29-4 with the win
- Coppin State ends its season 18-14 with the loss
- NSU now leads the all-time series 33-18
- The Spartans are now 3-2 against the Eagles at the MEAC Tournament
Up Next
Norfolk State advances to the MEAC championship game, taking place on Saturday, Mar. 15 at 4 p.m. live on ESPNews. NSU will face the winner of the other semifinal matchup between No. 2 seed Howard and No. 3 seed Maryland Eastern Shore.
For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X/Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.
