NORFOLK, Va. – Savannah State University women's basketball team (2-13, 0-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) trailed by as much as 23, but battled back to within three points with 2:48 remaining in the game as Norfolk State University (7-7, 2-0 MEAC) defeated the Lady Tigers 61-55 in Echols Hall Wednesday.
 
Senior guard Kenyata Hendrix recorded a game-high 20 points and added three rebounds and two assists, while senior center Tiyonda Davis, who started in her 100^th career game at SSU, recorded a game-high 14 rebounds and added five blocks with five points. Hendrix's five made field goals gives her 370 career made field goals to move into third place in school history in the Division I era.
 
Senior guard Rhianna Warren, who made three consecutive threes to cut the lead to three points, added 11 points, while senior forward Jeremica Edwards added eight points and four rebounds.
 
Norfolk State made back-to-back three pointers to take a 6-0 lead with 8:18 remaining in the first quarter, but Savannah State scored four of the next six points to cut the lead to four points, 8-4, with 5:01 left.  NSU scored eight of the final nine points of the quarter to take an 11-point lead, 16-5, after the first quarter.
 
The Spartans scored 10 of the first 12 points of the second quarter to take a 19-point lead, 26-7, with 6:06 remaining in the quarter, but the Lady Tigers scored five of the next seven points to cut the lead to 16 points, 28-12, with 5:13 left.  Norfolk State scored eight of the next nine points to increase its lead to a game-high 23 points, 36-13, with 1:49 left in the first half, but the Lady Tigers scored the final five points to cut the lead to 18 points, 36-18, at the half.
 
Savannah State scored eight of the first 12 points of the third quarter to cut the lead to 14 points, 40-26, with 5:24 remaining in the quarter, but Norfolk State scored 11 of the next 18 points to increase its lead to 18 points, 51-33, with 48 second left.  A jumper by Edwards cut the lead to 16 points, 51-35, after three quarters.
 
The Lady Tigers scored nine of the first 11 points of the fourth quarter to cut the lead to nine points, 53-44, with 7:14 remaining in the quarter, but Norfolk State scored the next three points to increase its lead to 12 points, 56-44, with 6:37 left.  Warren hit the next three-pointers to cut the lead to three points, 56-53, with 4:17 remaining in the game, but an NSU layup put the lead to five points, 58-53, with 3:14 left. 
 
Two made free throws by Hendrix cut the lead back to three points, 58-55, with 2:48 left in the game, but Norfolk State went 3-for-4 from the free throw to win by the final margin of six points. 
 
The Spartans were led by Dominique Harper with 16 points, Jordan Strode with 13 points and Kayla Roberts with 11 rebounds, five blocks and four points.
 
The Lady Tigers return home to face Florida A&M University (3-13, 1-2 MEAC) Saturday at 4 p.m. in Tiger Arena for "Greek Night."
 
Newspaper Box Score
Savannah State vs Norfolk State
01/11/17 5:30 p.m. at Norfolk, Va. (Echols Hall)
At Norfolk, Va. (Echols Hall)
NORFOLK STATE 61, SAVANNAH STATE 55
SAVANNAH STATE (2-13, 0-3 MEAC)
HENDRIX,Kenyata 5-19 7-9 20; WARREN,Rhianna 3-9 2-2 11; EDWARDS,Jeremica
4-11 0-0 8; BROWN,Deyja 1-2 3-3 5; DAVIS,Tiyonda 1-5 3-4 5; GREEN,Kierstan
2-4 0-0 4; TREADWELL,Caprisha 0-1 2-2 2; FIELDS,Lauryn 0-0 0-0 0;
RUSSELL,Praise 0-0 0-0 0; SHAW,Taylor-Ashley 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 16-54 17-20
55.
NORFOLK STATE (7-7, 2-0 MEAC)
HARPER,Dominique 5-9 5-6 16; STRODE,Jordan 4-11 4-6 13; PHILLIPS,Kiara 4-14
0-0 9; ALI,Khalilah 3-5 1-3 7; LONG,Alexys 2-8 0-0 4; BASEY,Kieera 2-4 0-0
4; ROBERTS,Kayla 2-6 0-0 4; TANNER,Shayla 1-2 0-0 2; DEAS,De'Janaire 1-1 0-0
2. Totals 24-60 10-15 61.
Savannah State................    5   13   17   20  -   55
Norfolk State.................   16   20   15   10  -   61
3-point goals--Savannah State 6-18 (HENDRIX,Kenyata 3-11; WARREN,Rhianna
3-7), Norfolk State 3-18 (STRODE,Jordan 1-5; PHILLIPS,Kiara 1-7;
HARPER,Dominique 1-2; BASEY,Kieera 0-1; LONG,Alexys 0-3). Fouled
out--Savannah State-None, Norfolk State-None. Rebounds--Savannah State 35
(DAVIS,Tiyonda 14), Norfolk State 38 (ROBERTS,Kayla 11). Assists--Savannah
State 6 (HENDRIX,Kenyata 2), Norfolk State 12 (PHILLIPS,Kiara 3;
STRODE,Jordan 3). Total fouls--Savannah State 19, Norfolk State 16.
Technical fouls--Savannah State-None, Norfolk State-None. A-473
 
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