MANATÍ, Puerto Rico – Norfolk State opened its international tour at the 2026 San Juan Shootout on Wednesday evening, battling to the final buzzer in a 79-77 loss to the LBP Blue All-Stars.

The Spartans return to action Thursday at 8 p.m. against the LBP White All-Stars.

Anthony McComb III led all scorers with 26 points, shooting 9-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, while adding nine rebounds and three assists. Elijah Jamison and Jordan Skyers joined McComb in double figures with 11 and 10 points, respectively.

Dramane Camara made his presence felt on the glass, pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds, including six on the defensive end, while contributing eight points. Keon Mitchell added eight points and five rebounds, while Jamese Jordan collected seven boards.

"Tonight was a hard-fought game for us with only nine bodies available to play against a solid Puerto Rican professional team," Norfolk State head coach Robert Jones said. "Although, as a competitor, I'm upset about the loss, I am proud of our fight. This is about the only time during the year a moral victory is okay."

"Anthony and EJ [Elijah Jamison] stepped up in moments as seniors, and all of our freshmen had their moments throughout the game," Jones continued. "Tomorrow's opponent will be tougher, so we have to have a very short-term memory before hitting the court tomorrow."

Both teams started slowly offensively, with Norfolk State scoring 13 points in the opening quarter while the LBP Blue All-Stars took a 17-13 advantage after the first 10 minutes.

The Spartans began finding their rhythm in the second period, outscoring LBP 23-20 to trim the deficit to a single point, 37-36, at halftime.

Norfolk State shot 42.1 percent from the field in the opening half compared to 40.0 percent for LBP. The Blue All-Stars made their biggest impact at the free-throw line, converting 10-of-13 attempts, while the Spartans went 2-of-7.

The tightly contested matchup continued after the break. LBP edged Norfolk State 26-25 in the third quarter, carrying a 63-61 advantage into the final 10 minutes.

Despite trailing by as many as eight points during the contest, Norfolk State continued to battle. The Spartans and Blue All-Stars exchanged momentum throughout a game that featured 15 lead changes and nine ties.

Norfolk State remained within striking distance throughout the fourth quarter, matching LBP with 16 points over the final 10 minutes. The Spartans pulled within two down the stretch but could not complete the comeback before the final buzzer.

Norfolk State controlled the glass despite the loss, outrebounding the Blue All-Stars 46-42. The Spartans were particularly effective on the offensive end, grabbing 20 offensive rebounds compared to 11 for LBP and holding a 13-7 advantage in second-chance points.

NSU also outscored LBP 32-30 in the paint.

The Spartans finished the night shooting 39.7 percent from the floor and 23.3 percent from 3-point range. LBP converted 44.6 percent of its field-goal attempts and held a significant advantage at the free-throw line, shooting 14-of-18 compared to Norfolk State's 8-of-17.

Inside the Box Score

• McComb posted a near double-double with 26 points and nine rebounds, while adding three assists.
• Camara pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to go along with eight points.
• Norfolk State had three players score in double figures: McComb (26), Jamison (11) and Skyers (10).
• All nine available Spartans saw action in the international tour opener.
• Norfolk State finished with 46 total rebounds, 11 assists, five blocks and 10 steals.

UP NEXT
Norfolk State continues play at the San Juan Shootout on Thursday evening, facing the LBP White All-Stars at 8 p.m. Fans can watch the game on YouTube here.