Subscribe
Follow Us
The Norfolk State Spartans women's basketball team outlasted the William & Mary Tribe in a game that came down to the wire. The reigning MEAC champions likely weren't expecting so much adversity in their first game, but they begin their season on a positive note.
While the Spartans walked away with the slight victory, the first half of the game was rough. In the first quarter, the Tribe's defense made a statement against a Norfolk State team that had made the NCAA Tournament last season. William & Mary held their opponent to just seven points in the opening quarter. The Spartans' defense kept them somewhat in contention, as they limited the Tribe to 15 points.
The game nearly got away from Norfolk State in the second quarter. The Spartans went five of the 10-minute interval without a single basket. While Paris Mullins hit two free throws to break the ice, it took her team almost seven minutes to get their first field goal, which came via layup from Da'naijah Williams. Before that layup, William & Mary took a 31-11 lead courtesy of a three-pointer from Bella Nascimento. Instead of taking a timeout, the Spartans regrouped as the game flowed and eventually went on a 15-0 run to close the quarter, entering the half with a manageable 31-26 deficit.
William & Mary got a little taste of their own medicine after the break. The Spartan defense put a lid on the hoop, holding their opponent to just nine points throughout the entire quarter. Meanwhile, Norfolk State scored double the amount of points they gave up. Niya Fields scored six of her 13 points in the third as she hit two huge threes. The first three-pointer tied the game at 33-33, which forced the Tribe to take a timeout. The second three-pointer extended the Spartan lead to 42-36, their largest lead of the quarter.
Norfolk State controlled much of the fourth quarter, up until the very end. With 5:28 of game time remaining, the Spartans held a 57-45 lead. It seemed as though the offense had put everything together while the defense was still holding strong.
That second statement, however, proved untrue. The Tribe kept inching forward while the Spartans kept turning over the ball and missing shots. Norfolk State also had trouble refraining from fouling, which allowed William & Mary to get free points with no wasted clock. With just 15 seconds remaining, William & Mary closed the previous 12-point deficit to a one-point game. Off of an offensive rebound, Kayla Rolph had an and-one layup to make the score 65-64. Niya Fields had an opportunity to make it a three-point game, but she missed her second free throw. Without any timeouts, Bella Nascimento, who had previously made three three-pointers, attempted to make her fourth to win the game. This time, however, the ball did not go in, and the Spartans survived with a 66-64 victory.
Nylah Young, a transfer from Hampton University, led the Tribe with 29 points on 9-14 shooting, nine rebounds, and two assists. Kayla Rolph and Bella Nascimento chipped in with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
The Spartans had four players scoring over double-figures. Kierra Wheeler led the way with 17 points and seven rebounds. Niya Fields hit three of her four three-pointers en route to 13 points and a couple assists. Da'Brya Clark led the bench with 11 points, seven assists, an six rebounds, and Da'naijah Williams had 10 points to go along with her five boards.
Norfolk State will have little time to rest as they face Drexel University on Wednesday, Nov. 8. Drexel was voted as the top team in the CAA's preseason poll with 10 first place votes.
