NSU women lose at home
After gaining a reprieve with one second left in regulation time, the Norfolk State women couldn’t capitalize in overtime and lost 73-68 Monday to North Carolina Central at Echols Hall, ending the Spartans’ 17-game home winning streak.
Kimeira Burks scored 26 points and was 7 of 12 from 3-point range for NCCU.
The Spartans (17-5, 5-2) fell two games behind Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference leader Morgan State after a bizarre last few minutes.
The game was postponed for a week because of the Jan. 30 death of N.C. Central volunteer assistant coach George Williams at age 71, and NSU hadn’t been in a game since Jan. 28. The Eagles (10-12, 4-3) led most of the game, though a 12-0 Norfolk State run gave the Spartans a 41-37 lead with 1:21 to go in the third quarter.
Camille Downs’ layup put NSU ahead 59-57 with 18 seconds left, but Burks banked in a 3-pointer to give the Eagles a 60-59 lead with 7.9 to go. Downs was fouled on a drive with 3.20 on the clock, then missed the first free throw but made the second for a 60-60 tie.
Then the weirdness began. Officials called a foul on NSU’s Makoye Diawara as Central’s Tippy Robertson took a shot with one second left. The Spartans’ Deja Francis protested so vehemently that she was assessed her second technical foul of the game, disqualifying her.
The Eagles got to shoot four free throws — two for the personal foul, two for the technical — but missed them all, enabling NSU to reach overtime.
In OT, though, Burks hit a 3-pointer on Central’s first possession and the Spartans never caught up. Downs got her fifth foul on a technical with 3:55 to go, taking away a key offensive option for NSU.
“We just met a team that wanted it more than us today,” NSU coach Larry Vickers said on a radio interview. “It’s just flat-out disappointing.”
NSU had 30 offensive rebounds but was outrebounded 60-58 and hit just 3 of 26 3-point tries.
Downs had 21 points and nine rebounds, Kierra Wheeler had 11 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks, and Francis had 10 points, four assists and four steals. Diawara grabbed 12 rebounds. The Spartans will try to bounce back at 2 p.m. Saturday at Maryland Eastern Shore.
No. 11 Virginia Tech 73, No. 22 N.C. State 61: The Hokies, previously 0-12 against the Wolfpack in Raleigh all-time, never trailed. Elizabeth Kitley scored 30 points and Georgia Amoore had 27 points and six assists and Elizabeth Kitley had 25 points, 14 rebounds and three blocks for Tech (19-4, 9-4 ACC). The Hokies outrebounded N.C. State 42-24.
Former Phoebus High standout Diamond Johnson had 16 points for the Wolfpack (16-7, 6-6), and Princess Anne High graduate Aziaha James had nine.
The Hokies finished the first half on a 9-2 run for a 39-28 edge. After cancer survivors were honored at midcourt at halftime in an ESPN2 “Play for Kay” game, the Wolfpack pulled to 50-48, but Tech’s D’asia Gregg sank a 3-pointer with 1:24 left in the third quarter to start an 8-0 Tech binge to end the period. The Hokies led by as many as 17 in the fourth.
Before the game, the Hokies moved up two places to No. 11 in the AP poll and were among six ranked ACC teams. Duke bolted up seven places to No. 9 to head that group.
Men’s AP poll
Virginia dropped two positions to No. 8 in the Associated Press Top 25 following its loss Saturday at Virginia Tech.
The Cavaliers (17-4) still lead the ACC contingent, which also includes No. 19 Miami and No. 22 N.C. State, the Cavaliers’ foe at 9 tonight in Charlottesville after entering the poll.