Norfolk State Snaps Skid In Dramatic Fashion
WASHINGTON, D.C. – For a team that has faced more than its share of adversity all year, what was a little more on Saturday?
The Spartan women’s basketball team lost a seven-point lead with three minutes left in regulation and had five players, including a trio of starters, foul out. But none of it was enough to prevent NSU from earning its first victory of the year, a 110-108 marathon win in double overtime over Howard at Burr Gymnasium.
Freshman guard Yazmen Hannah buried a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 0.5 seconds left in regulation to force overtime at 90-all. The teams played to a stalemate in the first OT before NSU pulled ahead and held on in the second extra session.
Hannah had a chance to seal the game at the line with 11 seconds left in the second OT, but she missed a pair of free throws. But Shaylon Tarver’s deep, last-second 3-pointer at the horn missed as NSU (1-19, 1-9 MEAC) won for the first time since last year’s MEAC tournament quarterfinals – 21 games ago, and also against these same Bison (3-18, 1-7).
NSU hit a season-high 12 3-pointers, one shy of the school record, and scored its most points ever against a Division I school. Only a 116-point night against Virginia-Lynchburg on Dec. 20, 2013 saw the Spartans score more than Saturday’s 110.
NSU got career highs in points from Kiara Phillips (21) and Hannah (20) and a career-high 19 rebounds – to go with 15 points – from Siobhan Beslow. In all, a season-high six Spartans scored in double figures, including Koryn Lawrence with 16, Brehanna Daniels with 11 and Kayla Roberts with 10.
Imani Bailey scored 37 points and Te’Shya Heslip had 23 points and 10 rebounds for Howard. Sydni Johnson scored 16, Erin Blaine 15 and Jasmine Hill 14 for the Bison.
For more information visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.hubison.com
Savannah State Drops Triple OT Decision To Morgan State
SAVANNAH, Ga. – The Savannah State University women’s basketball team (6-15, 3-7 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) came up short against Morgan State University (9-12, 7-2 MEAC) 66-60 in three overtimes in Tiger Arena Saturday afternoon.
Junior Tiyonda Davis set a career-high with 21 rebounds and added 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting with three blocks. Her previous career-high was 16 rebounds against Maryland Eastern Shore in last season MEAC Championship game on March 14, 2015.
Junior guard Kenyata Hendrix led SSU with 23 points on 7-for-17 shooting from the floor, including 4-for-10 from the 3-point line, and added five rebounds with three assists, while junior forward Caprisha Treadwell added career-highs with eight points and nine rebounds, including six offensive rebounds.
Hendrix’s four made 3-pointers gives her 123 career made and needs three made 3-points to move into second place in school history in the Division I era and gives her 42 made 3-pointers on the season, which moves her into a tie for third most in school history in a single season.
The Lady Bears were led by Braennan Farrar with 26 points and added four rebounds, five assists and four steals, while Tykyrah Williams added 23 points, eight rebounds and three steals and Zuri White added nine rebounds and six points.
For more information visit www.ssuathletics.com or www.morganstatebears.com
North Carolina A&T State takes road win over North Carolina Central
DURHAM, N.C. – Freshman guard Dominique Adams bucketed a team-high 13 points for North Carolina Central University but visiting North Carolina A&T State University had three double-digit scorers to earn a 76-54 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women’s basketball victory inside McDougald-McLendon Arena Saturday afternoon.
Senior center Aprill McRae produced game-high totals of 21 points and eight rebounds to lead the Aggies to the road win. N.C. A&T (11-10 Overall, 7-3 MEAC) shot 46-percent to earn its 12th straight win over the Lady Eagles.
Adams made half of her shots (5 of 10) to finish one point shy of her season high total. Adams also added three rebounds, one assist, one steal and one block from a reserve role.
The Aggies, who entered the season as the preseason favorites to win the MEAC, topped NCCU in most statistical categories; including holding a rebounding advantage (40-35), committing fewer turnovers (22-15) and scoring more in the paint (32-20) and off turnovers (23-12).
Dana Brown hit four 3-pointers for the Aggies on her way to 17 points. Sophomore Kala Green followed with 11 points and five assists.
For more information visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ncataggies.com
Bethune-Cookman Celebrates Senior Day With Big Win
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Bethune-Cookman women’s basketball avenged its 2015 setback in Dover, Delaware by handing Delaware State a convincing 31-point loss (66-35) and making it four-straight wins on Saturday during the Wildcat’s “Senior Day” in Moore Gymnasium.
The entire active B-CU roster saw a minimum nine minutes of action during the victory, while all 10 Wildcats scored at least three points and collected one rebound.
Despite the mostly even distribution on the B-CU offensive end, junior Kendra Cooper (Spring, Texas) pulled ahead of the pack scoring a game-best 23 points, finishing 9-for-10 at the line. Rookie Ashanti Hunt (Washington, D.C.) trailed Cooper with seven points, while Kailyn Williams (New Orleans, La.) lead on the glass with eight boards.
Delaware State was led by Aaliyah Davis’ 11 points and 11 boards, while Nikkei Blackburn led on the glass with a game-high 12 rebounds.
For more information visit www.bcuathletics.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Outler Leads Lady Bulldogs to Win Over Coppin State
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Ashleigh Outler scored a game-high 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting from the field, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, to lead the South Carolina State women’s basketball team to a 67-63 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win over Coppin State on Saturday afternoon at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.
Keena Samuels led three Lady Eagles in double figure scoring with 15 points. Janelle Lane finished with 14 points and a team-high three blocks, while Tayong tallied 12 points and five rebounds.
Brittany Drumgoole scored in double digits for the 10th time this season after finishing with 15 points. Jasmine Coleme had 10 points, four rebounds and one block, while JaQuanna Murray set a new career-high in blocks for the second straight game with six. She added four rebounds and two points.
For more information visit www.coppinstatesports.com or www.scsusports.com
Second Quarter Lifts Lady Pirates Past UMES
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. – After 10 minutes Saturday afternoon in the W.P. Hytche Athletic Center, the Hampton University women’s basketball team found itself trailing Maryland Eastern Shore by two. But after the second quarter, the Lady Pirates were well on their way to a 76-55 win.
The Lady Pirates (10-12, 8-1 MEAC) won their sixth straight game.
Junior guard Malia Tate-DeFreitas had her third 30-point game of the season, leading the Lady Pirates with 31 points on 10-for-16 shooting (and a 3-for-4 effort from behind the arc). She also had a team-high eight rebounds and four steals.
Freshman guard K’lynn Willis added a career-high 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting and dished out a career-high five assists. Willis, who recorded her first career 20-point game, has scored in double figures in six of her last seven games.
Ciani Byrom led the Hawks with 18 points.
For more information www.hamptonpirates.com or www.umeshawks.com