Dover, Del. (Feb. 14, 2022) --- Delaware State gave MEAC leader Norfolk State all it could handle before coming up short 69-66 in Memorial Hall this evening.
The Hornets led by as many as eight points in the second half, but the Spartans rallied to win for the eighth time in their last nine games, improving to 17-5 overall and 8-1 in the MEAC. Norfolk State also posted its 12^th straight victory over Delaware State since the 2015-16 season.
The Hornets, looking nothing like the team that lost to Norfolk State 80-51 on the road earlier this season, scored the last five points of the first half to trail 26-23 at the break and appeared to take control of the game after outscoring the Spartans 14-4 to start the second half.
Myles Carter capped off Delaware State's  19-4 run between the two periods with two free throws to give the Hornets a 37-30 lead with 15:41 left to play.
After Norfolk State pulled to within 39-36, the Hornets ran off the next five points on two free throws by Chris Sodom and a three-pointer by John Stansbury to give Delaware State its biggest lead of the game, 44-36, at the 12:54 mark of the second half.
The Spartans again cut Delaware State's  lead to three (46-43), but Dominik Fragala was fouled while hitting a three-point shot, and knocked down the free throw to put the Hornets ahead 50-43 with 9:26 remaining to play.
Norfolk State answered with a 7-0 run, and tied the game at 50-50 on a three-pointer by Joe Bryant, Jr.  with 8:02 left in the game.
On the ensuing possession, Stansbury hit a jumper to put Delaware State back in front 52-50, but Dana Tate followed with a three-pointer to give the Spartans their first lead since early in the second half, 53-52, with 7:34 left to play.
A little more than a minute later, Fragala hit another three-pointer to give Delaware State a 55-53 advantage.
The Hornets led for the last time, 58-57, when Martaz Robinson knocked down a three-pointer with 4:12 left.
Tate, the game's leading scorer with 21 points, answered with five straight points on a three-pointer and jumper to give Norfolk State a 62-58 lead.
The Spartans led 62-59 before hitting four straight free throws, followed by a three-pointer by Bryant, Jr.,  to lead 69-60 with a minute to go.
Delaware State still had some fight left, as Carter hit a basket and free throw, followed by a three-point play by Stansbury off a Norfolk State turnover to pull the Hornets to with three with 42 seconds on the clock.
After a missed free throw by Norfolk State, the Hornets had a chance to tie the game, but Stansbury came up empty on a long three-point try with 14 seconds remaining.
Tate missed two free throws with 0.4 seconds left, but the Hornets didn't have enough time to get off a shot before the buzzer sounded to end the game.
Hawkins added 14 points and Bryant, Jr. 11 for the Spartans.
Stansbury led five double-figure scorers for Delaware State with 15 points. Carter added 14 points and Fragala came off the  bench to tally 12 for the Hornets, highlighted by three of five three-point shorting.
Zach Kent also hit three three-pointers in his 10-point performance for Delaware State.
The Hornets are on the road for the next two games, beginning this Saturday (Feb. 19) at North Carolina Central (4:00 p.m.). Delaware State will also visit South Carolina State on Feb. 21 before returning home to face Morgan State on Feb. 26.