Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletic Communications


NORFOLK, Va. – When the spring sports season was shut down, it marked the end of a decade of Norfolk State athletics. From the fall of 2010 to the spring of 2020, it was a 10-year stretch that saw countless highlights across NSU's 15 total sports. Many of those programs' greatest achievements – since NSU made the jump to NCAA Division I in 1997 – came during this decade.
 
Over the course of the next several weeks, we are going to continue spotlighting those storylines right here on NSUSpartans.com. Every week, we'll choose a different sport(s) and take you down memory lane before we get set to start a new decade of excellence. In addition, head over to our Twitter page (@NSUSpartans) where fans will have the opportunity to vote for what they think is the greatest highlight per sport. At the end, they will also be able to vote for the greatest overall highlight in NSU athletics during the past 10 years.
 
We will now dive into women's basketball as we enter Week 5 of our series. We've narrowed it down to five storylines from the past decade that we'll focus on, in no particular order.
 
A.) She was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year in 2014-15, but one game in particular for Kayla Roberts stands out above the rest. On Jan. 31, 2015, a big performance from the freshman helped NSU end a 17-game losing streak to rival Hampton. In front of a crowd of 2,500 at home, and during NSU's best season up to that point since the 2002 championship squad, Roberts tallied 26 points and 25 rebounds in a 71-66 overtime win. It had been eight years since NSU last beat the Pirates, and only twice during those previous 17 games had NSU been within single digits at the end. It also was the first time in more than 25 years an NSU player had at least 25 points and 25 rebounds in a game. Roberts went on to a stellar career, but she certainly made a name for herself early on with that freshman showing against a main rival.
Read more about Roberts' big game against Hampton.
 
B.) What could have been when it comes to the end of the decade for women's basketball. The 2019-20 season was shaping up to be an historic one. The Spartans tied for second in the MEAC at 12-4, just the second time ever finishing that high in the standings. Along with their best MEAC record ever, they also finished with their best overall record since 2002 at 19-11. Behind a player we'll highlight below, NSU was primed to do something big. But after a quarterfinal win over Howard for No. 2 seed NSU, and after the No. 1 seed was knocked out, the season was shut down due to COVID-19. The Spartans finished in the top 10 in the nation in steals per game and turnovers forced and with the third-highest scoring offense in the program's Division I history. The program was ready to win its second-ever MEAC title behind a senior-laden roster, but nevertheless it was a good catalyst to the start of another decade.
Read more about NSU's 2019-20 season.
 
C.) Early in her career, Rae Corbo had a memorable moment, one all players strive to accomplish. On Jan. 7, 2012, during her sophomore year, she sank the game-winning 3-pointer from 30 feet out in a 61-58 home win over Maryland Eastern Shore. It was one of the most dramatic endings to a game among all NSU sports during the decade. With 1.3 seconds left, NSU inbounded the ball on the right side of the court. With the first option not open, Corbo caught the inbounds pass as a second option, turned away from a defender who had tried to go for the steal, and heaved up a shot nearly from the 'S' in Spartans on the court floor. The shot found nothing but net, and her teammates mobbed her on the other side of the court. If you are looking for some of the most memorable plays from the decade from NSU athletics, Corbo certainly provided one of them.
Watch Corbo's game-winning 3-pointer on YouTube.
 
D.) She played just one season for the Spartans, but what a season it was for Chanette Hicks in 2019-20. An All-ACC performer at Virginia Tech, she transferred to NSU for her senior year and lit the world on fire. She became the first NSU player ever to be voted MEAC Player of the Year or MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, and the first MEAC player to sweep the two awards. In addition, she was named the BoxToRow HBCU Player of the Year and first-team VaSID All-State. She recorded the program's first triple-double in more than 20 years, ranked second in the nation in steals per game (4.8), and ranked first in the conference in scoring (20.0 points), assists (5.0) and steals. Hicks led the Spartans to their highest MEAC regular-season finish since 2000 and was primed to lead them to a potential championship before the season was shut down due to the aforementioned COVID-19.
Read more about Hicks earning MEAC hardware.
 
E.) The 2018-19 squad was the only team during the decade to make a MEAC tournament finals appearance, the program's first since 2005. With La'Deja James and Raven Russell leading the way, Norfolk State defeated Howard in the quarterfinals and then topped North Carolina A&T 60-43 in the semifinals. That victory was significant, as it snapped the Aggies' 28-game win streak against conference foes. A&T had gone 16-0 that year in the regular season after winning the MEAC regular season and tournament titles the year before. NSU's run ended with a finals loss to Bethune-Cookman, but it marked another significant step for the program. With a new decade on the horizon, the Spartans are ready to build off the success that arrived at the end of this most recent decade.
Read more about NSU in the 2019 MEAC Tournament: NSU Tops A&T in the semis | NSU Falls to B-CU in the Final