HIGH POINT, N.C. (Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletics) – Norfolk State guard Brian Moore Jr. poured in a career-high 33 points on Sunday afternoon, leading the Spartans to a 77-74 road triumph over High Point.
The Spartans (9-6) handed High Point (12-3) its first home loss of the season, snapping an eight-game win streak for the Panthers on the Qubein Center floor. Norfolk State has now picked up nonconference victories over Sun Belt, CAA (2), Big West, SWAC (2) and Big South opponents.
Moore shot 13-of-21 from the floor and 7-of-7 at the free throw line in the highlight performance, adding six assists and five rebounds. The showing marked the most points by a Norfolk State player in a single game since Jonathan Wade scored 34 points against Elizabeth City State on Nov. 15, 2016.
The hometown returnee, Kuluel Mading, knocked down a three-pointer to start the game for the Spartans. A High Point native, Mading earned the Spartans plenty of support with nearly 50 friends and family in attendance.
High Point took a 10-7 advantage thanks to 3-pointers from Kimani Hamilton and Chase Johnston, but the Spartans regrouped quickly. Christian Ings attacked the rim for two points, before Sin’Cere McMahon connected from behind the arc to put NSU back in front.
The teams traded blows for several minutes, before an and-one from Moore helped give the Spartans an extended cushion. McMahon’s second 3-pointer of the day pushed Norfolk State ahead 24-17, the team’s largest lead of the first half.
Jalen Myers showed off his range, responding to a High Point 3-pointer with a deep shot of his own. High Point clawed its way back to an even score, however, hitting contested shots over Spartan defenders, but Ings got NSU’s energy back with a steal-and-slam in the blink of an eye.
Moore continued to penetrate the paint at will, racking up scores with acrobatic finishes. The graduate guard totaled 15 points in the first half, as Norfolk State went into the locker room ahead 39-34.
High Point erased the deficit early in the second half, as Johnston drained a game-tying 3-pointer a few minutes into the period. Mading produced another road roar for the Spartans, going up strong for a two-handed slam off the pass from Chris Fields Jr.
The Panthers took their first lead of the second half moments later, though, when Johnston connected once again from deep, hitting another soon after to push High Point ahead by four. Moore stopped the run with a driving score, before Tyrel Bladen made a hook shot to tie the game 49-49.
Needing to create separation, Norfolk native Jaylani Darden stepped up away from home. The senior guard drained a 3-pointer to put the Spartans ahead by four, punishing his defender for going underneath a ball screen.
Darden kept the momentum going, scoring through contact for an and-one opportunity a few minutes later. The Spartans began to pile on points from there, as Fields found Moore on a backdoor cut for a driving dunk.
Norfolk State pushed the gap to as much as nine points down the stretch, but High Point started to heat up again from deep to get back into the ballgame. Johnston’s eighth 3-pointer of the day pulled the Panthers within three, before the graduate guard came up with a steal to set up a layup at the other end.
The Spartans turned to their go-to scorer in the game’s final two minutes, and he rose to the occasion. Moore hit a tough layup to put Norfolk State ahead by three, before High Point pulled within one again. The Spartan guard answered with a clutch elbow jumper with 26 seconds remaining.
High Point’s desperate 3-point heave bounced hard off of the rim, giving the ball back to NSU in the game’s final second. Missed free throws gave the Panthers one more chance, but the home team could only muster two points. Moore drained a pair of free throws to put the game away, securing Norfolk State’s crucial victory.
Checking The Box Score
- Brian Moore Jr. led the Spartans with a career-high 33 points, shooting 13-of-21 from the floor and 7-of-7 at the free throw line
- Moore added six assists and five rebounds
- Christian Ings added 12 points on a 5-of-6 shooting day. The graduate guard now has shot 11-of-12 from the floor across his last two games
- Chase Johnston scored 24 points for High Point, making eight 3-pointers
- 45 of High Point’s 74 points came from behind the arc, knocking down 15 3-pointers
- Norfolk State outscored High Point 40-8 in the paint
- Norfolk State shot 28-of-52 (53.8 percent) from the floor
- Sunday’s game featured eight lead changes and four ties
News & Notes
- Sunday marked the first-ever meeting between the High Point and Norfolk State men’s basketball programs
- Norfolk State improved to 9-6 with the win
- High Point dropped to 12-3 with the loss
- Norfolk State handed the Panthers’ their first home loss of the season, snapping High Point’s eight-game win streak at the Qubein Center
- Norfolk State has now picked up nonconference victories over Sun Belt, CAA (2), Big West, SWAC (2) and Big South opponents.
- Brian Moore Jr.’s 33 points marked a career high, as well as the most points by a Norfolk State player in a single game since Jonathan Wade scored 34 points against Elizabeth City State on Nov. 15, 2016.
UP NEXT
Norfolk State remains on the road for one last road test of the 2024 calendar year – a daunting one at that. The Spartans head to Knoxville, Tenn. to face Tennessee – the No. 1 ranked team in the nation – at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 31
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