On November 11th, Norfolk State (2-1) came up short on the court of their cross-town rivals, Old Dominion (1-1). It was the first match up between the two since 2022 and the Spartans, who were coming off a loss to William & Mary (2-1), fought hard putting up 57 points to the Monarchs 60 points (57-60).
The Spartans and the Monarchs, teams that share the same city, have faced off against each other a total of five-times, with the Spartans losing all 5 matchups. Matchups between the two dates to 2015, where Old Dominion took the victory 68-57.
The Spartans and the Monarchs played a close game. Both teams had turnovers with Old Dominion forcing 12 Spartans turnovers, which were key to creating the offense. The Spartans held an early lead in the first half before the Monarchs went on a run to overtake the Spartans 28-32 at the half.
Multiple plays within the first half saw Old Dominion making momentum shifting plays to keep themselves in the game early. Monarchs guard, LJ Thomas, made several shots to aid in the run that gave them the first half lead.
Coming out of halftime, the Spartans were determined to close the gap. They even tied the game three times: 40-40, 55-55, and 57-57. With about two minutes left of the game, the Monarchs made a dunk and a free throw to take the game 57-60.
For the game, the Spartans shot a total of 21-56 from the field (37.5%). Old Dominion displayed stifling defense that stopped key possessions for the Spartans that could have changed the outcome of this game.
Both teams struggled from beyond the arc with the Spartans shooting 4/17 (23.5%) and the Monarchs going 4/24 (16.7%) from three-point range. Guard Elijah Jamison led the Spartans in scoring with 14 points along with 13 points from guard Anthony McComb III.
The Spartans now drop to a 2-2 mark on the season. Their upcoming matchup is on the road against Towson (2-1) on November 14th in Towson, Maryland.
Spartan Echo 