title image Nick Sutton
Courtesy of Alex Lehmbeck, Assistant Athletics Director for Sports Communicationwhit
Norfolk State regained its place atop the MEAC standings on Saturday, defeating Howard 92-75 behind a 30-point performance from graduate guard Brian Moore Jr.
Moore shot 11-of-18 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free throw line, surpassing the 30-point mark for the third time this season. Christian Ingstallied 19 points, four rebounds and four assists, while Jalen Myers logged 15 points and a team-best eight rebounds.
Norfolk State (14-8, 4-1 MEAC) shot a perfect 21-of-21 from the free throw line, marking the first time in program history that the Spartans have made 100 percent of their free throw attempts (min. 15) in a single game.
Cameron Shockley-Okeke led Howard (8-12, 3-1) with 19 points, knocking down four 3-pointers.
A highly anticipated conference matchup, the showdown lived up to the hype from the opening tip. Ings scored at the rim for the Spartans’ first points of the day, before Kuluel Mading knocked down a jumper from mid-range a couple of minutes later.
Sin’Cere McMahon gave the Spartans their first lead of the afternoon by knocking down a 3-pointer. Norfolk State maintained a slight edge, helped by a fast break and-one from Chris Fields Jr.
Shockley-Okeke gave Howard a one-point advantage, but a dunk by Mading at the other end pushed NSU back in front. Mading continued his hot start, draining a 3-pointer on the Spartans’ next possession.
Jalen Myers converted from mid-range to give NSU a 25-22 lead, before Ings increased the gap with another successful attempt close to the basket. A pair of scores from Shockley-Okeke tied the game back up, but Ings hit a timely 3-pointer of his own to put the Spartans back in control.
Shockley-Okeke continued to give the Norfolk State defense trouble, ending the first half with 14 points. Mading made a layup in the final minute of the first period, sending the two teams to the break tied 35-35.
Moore gave the Spartans an immediate boost in the second half, knocking down a jumper before scoring through contact for a three-point play. Myers hit his first 3-pointer of the day a couple of minutes later to push Norfolk State ahead 45-37 – the Spartans’ largest lead of the game to that point.
Howard slowed down the run with a successful trip to the free throw line from a 3-point attempt, before standout freshman Blake Harper pulled the Bison within three on a jump shot.
Ings began to heat up, getting to the basket for layups or fouls. A pair of free throws by the graduate guard pushed the Spartans ahead 61-51 midway through the second half – Norfolk State’s first double digit gap of the day.
Moore reached 20 points on a silky-smooth jumper, before Ings got the crowd on its feet with an alley oop slam on a lob from Jaylani Darden. Myers hit a jump shot of his own a few minutes later, as Norfolk State refused to take its foot off the gas.
Continuing his stellar day, Moore got to the rim at will for multiple baskets down the stretch. Darden drained a 3-pointer with under a minute remaining, but Moore put the final exclamation point with an and-one that bounced hard off the rim before falling.
Checking The Box Score
- Brian Moore Jr. led the Spartans with 30 points, shooting 11-of-18 from the floor and 8-of-8 from the free throw line
- Christian Ings recorded 19 points, four assists, and four rebounds
- Jalen Myers added 15 points and eight rebounds
- Norfolk State shot 33-of-65 from the floor (50.8 percent), while Howard shot 28-of-57 (49.1 percent)
- Norfolk State shot 21-of-21 from the free throw line
- Norfolk State outscored the Bison 48-34 in the paint
- Saturday’s game featured seven lead changes 15 ties
News & Notes
- The Spartans handed Howard its first conference loss of the season
- Norfolk State improved to 14-8 with the win, 4-1 in MEAC play
- Howard dropped to 8-12, 3-1 in the MEAC
- Norfolk State now leads the all-time series with Howard 53-12
- Norfolk State shot a perfect 21-of-21 from the free throw line, the first time the Spartans have ever shot 100 percent from the charity stripe with at least 15 attempts in a game
