Spartans Fall at No. 8 Mississippi State
STARKVILLE, Miss. - Victoria Vivians and Teaira McCowan scored 20 points apiece as No. 8 ranked Mississippi State downed Norfolk State by a 92-34 score on Friday night at Humphrey Coliseum.
Chinwe Okorie added 15 points and McCowan grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for the Lady Bulldogs (4-0), who shot 50 percent from the floor while holding NSU (0-5) to 27 percent accuracy.
Koryn Lawrence led the Spartans with 12 points.
Vivians hit a 3-pointer 14 seconds into the game for MSU, which never trailed. It was the first of her four 3-pointers in the game. MSU used a 7-0 spurt late in the first quarter to open up a double-digit lead which it held the rest of the game. The Lady Bulldogs held a 24-12 lead after one quarter, then held NSU to single-digit point totals (nine-nine-four) in each of the final three quarters.
Lawrence added four rebounds and three assists for NSU, which was playing its first top-10 opponent since meeting No. 1 Duke in the first round of the 2002 NCAA tournament. Spartans' leading scorer Kayla Roberts was held scoreless for just the second time in her career and first this season, but she did pull down a team-high seven rebounds and added a pair of steals. Junior guard Ashante Doby scored a season-high seven points off the NSU bench.
The Spartans have a week off before opening MEAC play at Morgan State on Saturday, Dec. 5.
For complete story, visit www.nsuspartans.com
Long Distance Effort by FAU Dooms DSU in Loss to Open Weekend Tourney
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Weekend host Florida Atlantic (4-0) drained 14 3-pointers in the opening game of its Thanksgiving Tournament, including 11 in the first half, as the Delaware State women’s basketball team (0-5) suffered an 83-55 loss Friday afternoon.
With this defeat, the Lady Hornets dropped their 14th in a row dating back to last season, whereas the Owls’ 4-0 start to a season is the best since 1991-92.
Leading the way during FAU’s hot start was the tandem of Kat Wright and Malia Kency registering 12 points each on a perfect 4-for-4 effort from beyond the arc, whereas guard Ali Gorrell drained two treys. As a team, the Owls not only shot 50 percent (19-of-38) from the field, but dished out 16 assists with six players tallying at least two, led by Gorrell (3).
DSU, on the other hand, led 5-2 in the early going, thanks to freshman NaJai Pollard scoring each bucket. Nevertheless, the Hornets failed sustain their early start, as they were limited to 31 percent (11-of-36) shooting in the opening half trailing 51-25 at the break.
In the second half, the Owls cooled down from long distance, going just 3-for-11 (.448). For DSU, it managed to outscore the Owls in the third quarter (17-14), but FAU’s first half effort’s was too much for the Lady Hornets to overcome.
When the final buzzer sounded, Kency (19), Wright (18) and Gorrell (10) finished the afternoon in double figures, while forward Sasha Cedeno dished out six of FAU’s 24 assists. Delaware State was led by Pollard’s 12 points (4-of-8)), as the only Lady Hornet to score in double figures.
Coming up, the Columbia Blue & Red will conclude FAU’s Thanksgiving Tournament against the loser of Appalachian State and South Dakota tomorrow at 12 p.m.
For complete story, visit www.dsuhornets.com