WACO, Texas- The Norfolk State men’s basketball team fought hard against a nationally-ranked opponent on Wednesday but couldn’t come away with a victory in a morning meeting with No. 25 Baylor.
The Bears (7-3) took down NSU (6-5) 94-69 behind 16 points and 13 assists from guard Robert Wright and 19 points from Norchad Omier. Christian Ings led Norfolk State with 12 points, while Brian Moore Jr. (11) and Jaylani Darden (11) both scored in double-figures.
Norfolk State showed no fear in enemy territory, as Ings immediately knocked down a 3-pointer on the game’s first possession. It marked the first time Baylor trailed at home this season.
Darden kept the momentum going with a 3-pointer a few minutes later, helping send the Spartans to the first media timeout with a 7-6 lead. The Spartans continued to rely on their shooting abilities, pulling within one on a Jalen Myers three-ball after a brief draught.
Back-to-back 3-pointers from Sin’Cere McMahon and Terrance Jones put the Spartans back in front, 20-18, before Moore and Chris Fields Jr. added scores to put NSU ahead by three a few minutes later.
An 8-2 run put Baylor back in the driver’s seat, but Moore knocked down a contested 3-pointer with a friendly roll to pull the Spartans within six at the half, 39-33.
Baylor’s Robert Wright’s steal-and-score gave Baylor its first double-digit lead of the afternoon early in the second half, but Darden responded with a triple at the other end. Moore found Tyrel Bladen maintained his balance in the air for a two-handed dunk, but a 3-pointer from Edgecombe pushed the Baylor advantage to 12.
Norfolk State struggled to regain a groove on the offensive side of the floor, as Baylor went on a 10-0 run to take control of the ballgame. McMahon knocked down a 3-pointer for a brief boost, but a wave of Bear baskets extended Baylor’s lead to 72-50 with nine minutes to play.
The offensive barrage continued from the Bears, hitting a multitude of jump shots in the final minutes of a 55-point half.
Checking The Box Score
- Christian Ings led the Spartans with 12 points and four assists, going 2-of-2 from behind the arc
- Brian Moore Jr. (11) and Jaylani Darden (11) also scored in double figures for the Spartans
- Robert Wright paced Baylor with 16 points and 13 assists
- Norchad Omier led the Bears with 19 points
- Baylor outscored NSU 55-36 in the second half
- After shooting 92.3 percent from the free throw line against Hofstra, Norfolk State converted just 13-of-21 (61.9 percent) of its attempts at the charity stripe on Wednesday
- Norfolk State shot 10-of-10 (55.6 percent) from behind the arc
- Baylor outrebounded NSU 34-27
News & Notes
- Wednesday marked the fifth-ever meeting between the Norfolk State and Hofstra men’s basketball programs
- Norfolk State dropped to 6-5 with the loss
- Baylor improved to 7-3 with the win
- Baylor now leads the all-time series between the schools 5-0
Source: Norfolk State Athletics/nsuspartans.com
