HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Norfolk State men’s basketball team came up short in a Sunday afternoon road bout, falling 71-62 at Northern Kentucky.
Four players paced the Spartans (6-6) with 12 points each: Christian Ings, Brian Moore Jr., Terrance Jones, and Kuluel Mading. Josh Dilling led the Norse (5-6) with 22 points, while Sam Vinson added 21 points by converting 13-of-15 free throws.
Historically dominant when distributing the ball at such an even rate, Norfolk State dropped to 75-26 under head coach Robert Jones when four Spartans score in double figures.
Ings scored the first five points of the day for the Spartans, before Moore gave Norfolk State a 10-4 advantage on a tough contested mid-range jump show, followed by a 3-pointer. Norfolk State looked alert on the defensive end, forcing the Norse to miss six of their first seven shot attempts.
The Spartans received a boost from their bigs, as Mading beat the shot clock for a layup before scoring on a dunk a few minutes later. Jalen Myers earned a second-chance basket with a foul, maintaining Norfolk State’s slim cushion.
Northern Kentucky regained control of the paint area to claw its way back into the ballgame. Norse forward LJ Wells grabbed an offensive rebound and converted to tie the game 17-17, before earning another second-chance bucket on the next trip down the floor to give his team the lead.
Chris Fields Jr. drained a fadeaway jump shot at the end of the shot-clock to give Norfolk State a two-point lead, but the Norse responded with several unanswered scores. Ings got the Spartans back on track with a third buzzer-beater, hitting a 3-pointer to pull NSU within one.
Moore drained a triple moments later to push Norfolk State back in front, but the Norse went on another timely run to earn a 38-33 advantage. Terrance Jones reached seven first-half points with a 3-pointer, slowing down the home team’s momentum.
Norfolk State turned defense to offense, as a Myers block led to a Moore score at the other end in the half’s closing seconds. It was Northern Kentucky’s turn to beat the clock, though, draining a heave from near half-court at the buzzer to take a 41-38 lead into the locker room.
Both teams struggled to break through offensively in the opening stretch of the second half, with the period’s first points coming over three minutes in. Fields and Jones earned and-one opportunities on back-to-back possessions, though, giving Norfolk State its first lead since the 3:58 mark of the first half.
Northern Kentucky went on an 8-0 run from there, stepping back into the driver’s seat. The Norse went ahead 60-52 on an inside score with under seven minutes to play in regulation.
As Norfolk State attempted to put together a comeback, Northern Kentucky continued to knock down clutch contested shots. A jumper by Sam Vinson put NKU up 64-55 with 3:44 remaining, before Ings found Mading for a layup at the other end of the floor.
The Spartans attempted the fouling game late, but Northern Kentucky knocked down its free throws to secure the victory.
Checking The Box Score
- Four players paced the Spartans with 12 points each: Christian Ings, Brian Moore Jr., Terrance Jones, and Kuluel Mading
- Josh Dilling led the Norse (5-6) with 22 points, while Sam Vinson added 21 points by converting 13-of-15 free throws
- Northern Kentucky outrebounded Norfolk State 35-32
- Jalen Myers led the Spartans on the glass with seven rebounds
- Northern Kentucky tallied eight blocks, while Norfolk State recorded three
- NSU outscored NKU 34-24 in the paint
- Sunday’s game featured eight lead changes and 10 ties
News & Notes
- Sunday marked the third-ever meeting between the Norfolk State and Northern Kentucky men’s basketball programs
- Norfolk State dropped to 6-6 with the loss
- Northern Kentucky improved to 5-6 with the win
- NKU now leads the all-time series between the schools 3-0
UP NEXT
Norfolk State will head next to Uncasville, Conn for a pair of matchups in the Chris Paul HBCU Challenge. The Spartans face Alabama State on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 5 p.m. and Grambling State at 4 p.m. on Dec. 20.
Source: Norfolk State Athletics/ nsuspartans.com
