NORFOLK, Va. (Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletics) – The Norfolk State men’s basketball team fell 80-74 against Howard in the MEAC tournament semifinals Friday night at Norfolk Scope Arena.
Allen Betrand led the Spartans (22-11, 11-3 MEAC) with 16 points off the bench, shooting 6-of-10 from the floor. Jamarii Thomas tallied 14 points, while Christian Ings recorded 11 points, five assists and four rebounds.
Marcus Dockery led Howard (17-16, 9-5) with 19 points. Six Bison student-athletes account for 73 of the team’s 80 points, with those six each scoring in double figures.
The intensity began from the opening tip. Howard took a small lead as the Spartans struggled to make shots in the first few minutes, but an and-one layup by Ings gave the team a quick wake-up.
Thomas knocked down two 3-pointers within a short span, the second tying the game 16-16. Betrand and Thomas knocked down jumpers in quick succession, before Jaylani Darden provided a second-chance basket to give the Spartans a 22-16 lead.
The stretch marked a 9-0 run for the Spartans, sending a jolt of energy throughout the venue
Howard slowed down NSU’s momentum with an inside basket by Harris, followed by a 3-pointer from Dockery. The Spartans got the crowd back on their side soon after, though, as Ings found Tyrel Bladen for a powerful slam.
A driving layup by Thomas kept the Spartans with a comfortable lead, before Nyzaiah Chambers scored again in the paint, sending NSU to halftime with a 37-31 advantage.
Bladen got the second half going with an inside basket, from Darden’s crafty pass. A 7-0 run pulled the Bison within a point, but the Spartans remained ahead by getting to the rim and the free throw line.
Betrand ended the team’s cold streak with a 3-point jumper, pushing Norfolk State ahead by five. Chambers gave the Spartans valuable minutes at both ends of the floor, forcing turnovers with suffocating defense and finishing two-handed dunks on the other side.
Jordan Hairston knocked down a huge triple for Howard, pulling the Bison within two as the second half reached its midway point. The Bison lost one of their top scorers at the nine-minute mark, though, when Seth Towns fouled out of the game.
Howard went ahead 53-52 on a Dockery 3-pointer, the team’s first lead since 13:20 remained in the first half. The seesaw battle continued from there, both squads fighting tooth and nail to avoid elimination.
A pair of Bison free throws gave Howard a 61-59 advantage, but Jack Doumbia responded at the other end with a quick bucket.
Back-to-back Bison 3-pointers helped Howard jump out to a nine point lead with under two minutes remaining, its largest of the day, until Ings got the Spartans back on the board with a floater.
The Spartans struggled to keep up with Howard’s sudden burst from behind the arc. The Bison maintained their advantage for the final minute.
Checking The Box Score
- Allen Betrand led the Spartans with 16 points off the bench, shooting 6-of-10 from the floor
- Jamarii Thomas tallied 14 points and four steals, while Christian Ings added 11 points, five assists, and four rebounds
- Marcus Dockery led the Bison with 19 points, shooting 6-of-8 from the floor and 5-of-6 from behind the arc
- Six Bison student-athletes scored in double figures on Friday
- The Spartans shot 26-of-53 (49.1 percent) from the floor, while Howard shot 23-of-43 (53.5 percent) from the field and 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from behind the arc
News & Notes
- Norfolk State dropped to 22-11 with the loss
- Howard impoved to 17-16 with the win
- Norfolk State now leads the all-time series between the programs 52-15
- Howard eliminated Norfolk State from the MEAC Tournament for the second consecutive season, after defeating the Spartans 65-64 in last year’s championship game