The Norfolk State men’s basketball team put together a gritty effort on Monday afternoon to ensure the Spartans didn’t leave the 2023 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam empty handed.
NSU (4-2) defeated Florida Gulf Coast (1-5) 69-66 behind a 27-point performance from junior Jamarii Thomas. Recording five steals against the Eagles, Thomas knocked down all 12 of his attempts at the free throw line.
Allen Betrand posted 14 points and two rebounds in the Spartan victory, while Jaylani Darden pulled down a team-high eight boards.
Norfolk State got off to a slow start on Monday, but battled back swiftly this time around. After Florida Gulf Coast jumped out to an 11-2 lead, Thomas and Daryl Anderson knocked down 3-pointers to shrink the deficit. Nyzaiah Chambers rocked the rim for a two-handed dunk that gave NSU its first lead of the afternoon.
Gilbert Brown knocked down a deep shot from behind the arc moments later, before Betrand drained a turnaround jumper. Both teams countered each other with rapid scores, but four Thomas free throws in a short stretch helped NSU gain some separation.
Another 3-pointer from Daryl Anderson gave Norfolk State a double-digit advantage, and Thomas maintained the cushion with a pair of jumpers before halftime. NSU entered the second period with a 38-28 lead.
Kuluel Mading got the second half started with a deep 3-pointer, setting the tone quickly. Darden hit a pull-up jumper before Mading added another pair of free throws to put NSU ahead by 19, the Spartans’ largest lead of the afternoon.
Florida Gulf Coast stormed back into the ball game with several 3-pointers, getting within single digits in a matter of minutes. Brown drained his second 3-pointer of the day to push the lead back to 11, but quick inside scores helped the Eagles pull closer.
With the Spartans clinging to a three-point lead in the final eight minutes of play, FGCU guard Franco Miller Jr. converted a driving layup to get the Eagles within one, but Betrand responded with a turnaround jumper at the other end a minute later.
Florida Gulf Coast would get within a point of the Spartans at multiple moments in the second half, but could never even the ballgame up. Thomas and Chambers scored in the paint to give the Spartans’ some breathing room in the final minutes, but Miller knocked down a floater late to keep FCU in the game.
Holding a one-point advantage in the last 30 seconds of play and needing a stop, Betrand came up with a deflection to force a crucial turnover. Thomas knocked down a pair of free throws to help seal the deal, as the Spartans left the U.S. Virgin Islands with a victory.
