PRINCESS ANNE, Md. — Norfolk State grinded out a tight road win Monday night, defeating Maryland Eastern Shore 70-66 at the Hytche Center. Senior Elijah Jamison highlighted the night by scoring his 1,000th career point on a jumper in the second half. 

With the victory, the Spartans improve to 13-14 overall and 6-4 in MEAC play, while UMES falls to 8-19 (4-6 MEAC) and drops its sixth straight contest. 

Maryland Eastern Shore jumped ahead early with a 9-3 run behind sharp shooting from Jaden Cooper, who knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, while Zion Obanla added a three-point play. Norfolk State responded with a 9-3 stretch of its own over a four-minute span to tie the game at 12-12 heading into the under-12 media timeout, with Devon Ellis, Anthony McComb III, and Keyontae Lewis each contributing. 

Back-to-back three-pointers from McComb gave the Spartans their first lead at 22-17 with 8:36 remaining in the first half. The teams traded baskets the rest of the period, and Norfolk State carried a narrow 31-28 advantage into the break. 

The Hawks opened the second half on a 13-7 run to take a 41-38 lead before Ellis answered with a game-tying three. The teams continued to battle through multiple lead changes — baskets from Dian Wright-Forde and Obanla kept the score even at 43-43 before Wright-Forde drilled a three off a McComb assist to put NSU back in front 46-43. 

UMES briefly regained a one-point edge at 54-53 with 7:06 remaining, but Norfolk State delivered the decisive stretch. Sparked by an Ellis layup, the Spartans went on a 13-2 run to build a 64-56 lead with 3:20 to play. 

The Hawks made one final push, trimming the deficit to 68-66 with eight seconds left, but McComb sealed the win at the free-throw line, knocking down two clutch foul shots to secure the 70-66 victory. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• FINAL: Norfolk State 70, Maryland Eastern Shore 66 
• Devon Ellis and Anthony McComb III tied for the team lead with 17 points each 
• Ellis shot 6-of-8 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from beyond the arc and also led the team with six rebounds 
• McComb shot 4-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range while going 6-of-8 from the free-throw line 
• Additional double-digit scorer: Dian Wright-Forde (10) 
• 3PT% — NSU 50.0%, UMES 37.5% 
• FT% — NSU 61.9%, UMES 53.8% 
• Bench Points — NSU 28, UMES 8 

SPARTAN NEWS & NOTES 

• Elijah Jamison surpassed the 1,000 career point mark in the second half against UMES 
• Head Coach Robert Jones is one win away from his 250th career victory 
• Norfolk State and Maryland Eastern Shore split the season series, each winning on the opponent's home court 
• The Spartans won by four points (70-66) after dropping the earlier meeting by four (74-70) 
• Norfolk State scored exactly 70 points in both matchups against UMES 

UP NEXT 
The Spartans return home to Echols Hall to host the Bulldogs of South Carolina State at 4 p.m. on ESPNU.