HAMPTON, Va. — Jizelle James scored 19 points, including a steal and putback with 23 seconds left, as the Norfolk State University women's basketball team edged Hampton 53-50 in the Battle of the Bay on Saturday night at the Hampton Convocation Center.
The Spartans (2-3) won their road opener by holding the Pirates to six points in the third quarter.
James came off the bench to lead Norfolk State, shooting 6-of-16 from the field, 3-of-7 from 3-point range and 4-of-5 at the free-throw line. Alexis Davis added 10 points, nine rebounds and a block. Sana'a Garrett dished out five assists and had three steals. LeAire Nicks finished with six points, three steals and three assists, and Cire Worley scored six points, including the go-ahead layup in the final minute.
How It Happened
- The teams traded the lead early. A Dahni Suggs layup gave Norfolk State its first lead at 7-6, and Niyah Gaston's 3-pointer tied it at 12. Justus Fitzgerald scored the final four points of the first quarter to put Hampton ahead 16-12.
- The Spartans led 25-21 after two James free throws with 3:01 left in the second quarter. Kiarra McElrath hit a 3-pointer and a jumper in a 7-2 Hampton finish that gave the Pirates a 28-27 halftime lead.
- Worley's jumper and a Nicks 3-pointer opened the third quarter and put NSU back in front. Hampton tied it twice, the last time at 34 with 4:30 left in the period, before Norfolk State closed the quarter on a 7-0 run. James hit a 3-pointer, and Asia Keels finished a fast-break layup off a Nicks steal to make it 41-34 entering the fourth.
- James' 3-pointer with 3:47 left gave the Spartans a 48-41 lead. Hampton answered with seven straight points, tying the game at 48 on back-to-back layups off steals with 53 seconds left.
- Worley scored on a layup off a Garrett assist to put NSU ahead 50-48 with 29 seconds to go. On the next possession, James came up with a steal and scored on her own miss to make it 52-48. After a Hampton layup, James made a free throw with 10 seconds left. McElrath's 3-point attempt at the buzzer missed.
Inside the Numbers
- Norfolk State held Hampton to 2-of-12 shooting and forced six turnovers in the third quarter.
- The Spartans forced 21 Hampton turnovers and scored 19 points off them.
- NSU's bench outscored Hampton's 30-12. The Spartans also had advantages in second-chance points (13-6) and points in the paint (26-20).
- Norfolk State outrebounded the Pirates 36-35 and shot 36.4 percent from the field to Hampton's 34.5 percent.
- The game featured seven ties and seven lead changes.
- McElrath led Hampton (1-3) with 22 points and made five 3-pointers. Maya Woodson grabbed nine rebounds.
Coach's Comments
"We defended this game," said head coach Jermaine Woods. "We held them to 34 percent shooting, and that's who we want to be. We gave up too many points in the fourth quarter, but I'm really proud of them for executing our defensive game plan. We didn't do it for four quarters, but we did it long enough to win the game."
"That was the first time we faced real adversity this season, and we fought through it. We turned the ball over more than we'd like, but we stayed together and showed resilience. I'm really proud of these young women."
On Hampton's final possession: "We took a gamble. We doubled hard and left somebody open, because at that point we had to make someone else beat us. We talked about it in the timeout, and they did a good job executing."
"It's our first Division I win of the season, and it came a lot earlier than it did last year. It's a great win. Battle of the Bay. Behold!"
Up Next
Norfolk State returns home for a three-game homestand that begins Tuesday, Nov. 17, when the Spartans host Bluefield State at 6 p.m. at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall. NSU then welcomes Campbell on Friday, Nov. 20, and Appalachian State on Monday, Nov. 23. Both of those games tip off at 6 p.m. and will stream on the MEAC Network.
