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NCCU WBB Drops Tough Game to Norfolk State

Lawrence Davis III @LawDavis13 @SpecMagSports

DURHAM, N.C.— Norfolk State University Spartans women’s basketball team defeated North Carolina Central University Eagles 79-67 in the McDougald-McLendon Arena.

Norfolk State (23-5, 11-2 MEAC) became the regular-season MEAC Championship for the second consecutive season with the win over NCCU on Monday.

The Eagles (13-15, 7-6 MEAC) won the tip-off where Kimia Carter immediately got her scoring started with a layup. Kira Lowery tied the game with thirty seconds left in the first quarter. At that point, she was 4-4 from the court and had 13 points following her and-1 off a layup. 

Norfolk State started the strong second quarter with a defensive presence. The Spartans forced two blocks and two steals. two steals.  Niya Fields accounted for two of the Spartan’s early steals. The Eagles got their first FG of the quarter with a  Nia Ford 3. at 7:09 in the second. NSU managed a 30-21 point lead until Kimia Carter got a bucket with 3:13 left to go in the half.

Norfolk’s starting guard Deja Francis went 2-2 on the FT line with two minutes left to go to give them a 39-28 halftime lead over N.C. Central. 

NCCU’s Kira Lowery ended the first half with 13 points. NFS guard Camille Down ended the half with 14 points, three bounds, one assist, and one steal.

In the third quarter, NSU went on a 10-0 run until the 6:30 mark in the third following Burks’s back-to-back turnovers. Eagles racked up their eighth foul of the game sending Kierra Wheeler to the free throw line and leading to a 51-32 NSU lead. NSU held a 21-point lead at the end of the third which was the Spartan’s largest lead of the game. 

The fourth was all the same, NCCU was able to dwindle the NSU lead down to 12 but turnovers and fouls kept N.C. Central out of the game

Camille Downs finished the game with 25 points. for Norfolk State. The Spartans also had big efforts from Deja Francis and Kierra Wheeler. Kira Lowery ended the night with 18 points, three rebounds, and three assists. Kimia Carter had seven points, a block, and two assists.

NCCU will look to bounce back on Thursday on the road against SC State in their season-finale at 5 pm.