NSU Holds Back Bethune-Cookman 59-45

NORFOLK, Virginia – Up by just two at the break, the Norfolk State men's basketball team pulled away from Bethune-Cookman in the second half in a 59-45 victory on Saturday evening at Joseph Echols Hall.

The Spartans were held to more than 25 points below their season average, but a strong defensive effort allowed NSU to win its 21st straight conference regular season game, the longest active streak in Division I basketball.

Norfolk State improved to 7-3 overall, the best 10-game start in the D-I era, and 2-0 in the MEAC. Bethune-Cookman dropped to 2-9, 0-1 after shooting just 16-of-53 (30.2 percent) for the game.

Senior Riley Maye tied his career high and led NSU with 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting coming off the bench.

He had 11 in the second half as the Spartans turned a 30-30 tie into a double-digit lead over a six-and-a-half minute span. Senior Pendarvis Williams made it 44-33 at the end of the run after hitting a pair of free throws.



A short time later, Williams hit a driving layup with an outstretched left hand for a 52-40 advantage. Senior Marese Phelps got the kind bounce on his 3-point shot, and Williams hit a baseline jumper to cap an extended 15-5 run that lasted another eight minutes and put the Spartans up by 17.

After a slow start, Williams finished with 11 points, while seniors Brandon Goode and Malcolm Hawkins each added 10. Goode also added a game-high nine rebounds with five blocks.

Malik Jackson led the Wildcats with 16 points and seven boards.

Neither team could get much going offensively in the early going before the Spartans took a 16-10 lead on Maye's hook shot in the lane from 10 feet out. Goode's alley-oop layup then made it 21-17 at the 4:37 mark.

Jackson, who had 13 of his 16 points before the break, hit a trey with less than a minute to go to tie it up, but a last-second lay-in by senior Anell Alexis gave the Spartans a 27-25 lead at the break.

NSU hit 22-of-52 (42.3 percent) for the game and had a 32-12 advantage in points in the paint. The Spartans also connected on 13-of-16 (81.3 percent) from the free throw line two days after attempting a school-record 62 shots against Florida A&M.

Junior Jamel Fuentes had a career-high nine rebounds with seven assists. Norfolk State won its 16th straight home game.

The Spartans will take the week off before heading up to Boston University for an afternoon contest on Dec. 15.

Box Score

By Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION