The Norfolk State women’s basketball team bounced back confidently from its first loss of the season, outplaying Colgate from start to finish in a 58-51 victory on Sunday.
Kierra Wheeler led the Spartans with 15 points, while Da’naijah Williams recorded a season-high 11 points on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting day. Makoye Diawara tallied 10 points and seven rebounds, grabbing six boards on the offensive end.
The second-ever meeting between Norfolk State (6-1) and Colgate (3-1) may have been a morning matchup, but the Spartans didn’t need any time to wake up from the opening tip. Williams scored on the Spartans’ opening possession, converting in the lane off a strong drive.
Niya Fields punished the Colgate defense for going underneath a ball screen, draining a pullup 3-pointer to give Norfolk State an early lead that it would maintain the rest of the afternoon.
Diawara scored off a second-chance layup after coming down with a steal at the other end, before Wheeler fought through contact for an and-one layup. Wheeler and Diawara added crafty layups in quick succession to push NSU ahead 14-2.
Colgate’s Sophia Diehl scored in the paint to stop the 12-0 Spartan burst, before Morgan McMahon knocked down a 3-pointer to pull the Spartans within seven. Tiasa McMillan scored in the paint a few minutes later, as the Raiders closed the quarter on a 7-0 run.
Fields got the second period going with a pullup jumper, but Colgate pulled within three on several inside scores. Fields sparked the NSU offense with a steal and score, followed by a Diawara layup and Williams jump shot to push the lead back to double-digits.
A pair of 3-pointers helped the Raiders stay in the mix, but Fields continued her terrific second quarter with a stone-cold 3-pointer in the half’s final seconds. The shot gave Norfolk State a 30-19 lead, its largest halftime advantage of the season.
Anjanae Richardson started the third quarter with an immediate 3-pointer, but Colgate responded with a hookshot on the other end. Both teams began to hit their stride offensively, as Williams, Wheeler, and Fields scored baskets in the paint to maintain a double-digit lead.
Diawara continued to dominate the glass, converting inside after her fifth offensive rebound of the day. After Colgate pulled within six late in the quarter, Wheeler provided a pair of crucial scores to close out the period.
Taylor Golembiewski drained back-to-back mid-range jumpers to get Colgate back within single digits, but Williams earned a trip to the free throw line for one point, hitting another jump shot on the Spartans’ next possession.
Colgate pulled within five late in the quarter, but Wheeler spun around her defender for a reverse layup in the final minute, putting the final touches on the Spartans’ sixth victory of the season.
Courtesy: Norfolk State Athletics
