DOVER, Del. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team battled down to the wire to secure a 66-64 road victory over Delaware State on Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall.
With the win, Norfolk State improves to 7-11 overall and 1-1 in MEAC play, while Delaware State drops to 5-12 overall and 0-2 in conference action.
The Spartans were led by Anthony McComb III, who poured in a game-high 23 points on an efficient 7-of-8 shooting performance, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc and 6-of-8 at the free throw line. Keyontae Lewis added 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting while leading the team with five rebounds. Elijah Jamison rounded out the Spartans in double figures with 16 points on 6-of-9 shooting.
Norfolk State opened the contest on a 5-0 run with layups from Lewis and Jordan Leaks before the Hornets answered with a three-pointer from Ponce James to knot the score at five. The Spartans responded with three consecutive basket, two from Lewis and one from Jamison, to take an 11-5 lead at the 14:23 mark.
Delaware State countered with a 15-4 run to claim a 20-15 advantage midway through the first half. Norfolk State answered back, tying the game at 22-all following a 7-2 spurt highlighted by three jumpers from Jamison. The Hornets briefly regained a four-point edge, 28-24, but a late surge by the Spartans, including a three from Devon Ellis and seven straight points from McComb, sent NSU into halftime with a 34-31 lead.
Delaware State opened the second half on an 11-3 run to take a 42-37 lead with 16:30 remaining. Norfolk State chipped away and reclaimed the lead, 48-45, behind baskets from Lewis, McComb, and Jamison, along with four combined free throws from McComb and Jamison.
A three-pointer from Corey Perkins tied the game at 48 with 12:19 left before the Hornets pushed ahead 52-48. The Spartans responded with a 5-0 run, fueled by Lewis and McComb, to regain a 53-52 advantage with 8:41 on the clock.
Delaware State swung the momentum again, building a five-point lead, 58-53, with 6:26 remaining. Norfolk State stayed composed, trimming the deficit to two following a pair of free throws from Lewis. After Ponce James knocked down two free throws to put the Hornets up four, Jamison took over with a five-point burst to give the Spartans a 63-62 lead with one minute remaining.
Following a missed Delaware State attempt, Norfolk State drew a foul at midcourt, sending Adrean Newton to the line. Newton converted one of two free throws to make it 64-62 with 28 seconds left, but James answered with a midrange jumper to tie the game at 64 with 17.3 seconds remaining.
On the ensuing possession, Jamison recovered a loose ball and dished to Newton, who finished a layup with 2.2 seconds left to give Norfolk State the decisive 66-64 advantage. Delaware State called a timeout to set up a final look, but its desperation heave at the buzzer fell short, sealing the Spartans' victory.
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
- FINAL: Norfolk State 66, Delaware State 64
- Team Stats
- FG%: NSU 51.1%, DSU 46.3%
- 3PT%: NSU 33.3%, DSU 22.7%
- FT: NSU 14-of-21, DSU 9-of-11
- Bench Points: NSU 16, DSU 7
STORYLINES
- With the win, head coach Robert Jones is now seven victories away from 250 career coaching wins.
- The Spartans concluded a 10-game road stretch spanning 48 days between home contests (Nov. 25–Jan. 12).
- Norfolk State improves to 50-25 all-time in the series against Delaware State.
UP NEXT
Norfolk State returns home on Monday night, hosting Maryland Eastern Shore at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall for its first home game since Nov. 25.
