Box Score WASHINGTON, DC --- A season-best scoring performance by the Howard women's basketball team was not enough to overcome the visiting Norfolk State University Spartans as the Lady Bison fell to NSU 79-74 on Monday evening at Burr Gymnasium. The loss is HU's third in a row and puts the team below .500 in conference for the first time all season.

For the first time this season, five players scored in double figures for Howard (10-16, 6-7 MEAC). On five different occasions, the Lady Bison had four players finish with 10+ points. HU was led by sophomore center Victoria Gonzalez, who scored 21 points on 50 percent (6-of-12) shooting and set season-high marks for free throws (9-of-15), blocks (4), steals (3) and assists (2).

Redshirt freshman guard Te'Shya Heslip added a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double of the season and her best rebounding effort of the year. She also added four assists and two steals.

Graduate student forward Shavonne Duckett and freshman guard Jasmine Hill each chipped in 10 points apiece.

The fifth and final Lady Bison in double figures was freshman guard Allese Morrison. A walk-on who had scored five points in four previous games, Morrison provided a boost off the bench with on target mid range jumpers to the tune of 10 points on 50 percent (5-of-10) shooting.

Howard took its largest lead of the game early on in the contest, with a Hill pull-up jumper capping a 3:25, 11-4 run to open the game. NSU quickly fought back with a 10-0 run to take a 14-11 lead with 13:25 remaining in the half and would never relinquish the lead for the rest of the game. Howard would get no closer than four points in the second half.

Unfortunately for Howard, their individual scoring efforts were overshadowed by the scrappy performance of Norfolk State (11-13, 7-6 MEAC). Both teams shot nearly the same percentage from the field (HU: 41.3, NSU: 41.4) and hit nearly the same number of three pointers (HU: 3, NSU: 4) but the Spartans separated themselves with more accurate shooting from long range (57.1 percent to 15.8 percent) and a higher free throw conversion rate (87.1 percent / 27-31 to 63.3 percent / 19-30).

NSU freshman forward Logan Powell led the Spartans with a season-best 25 points.

Howard will play its final road games of the season this weekend, beginning with a March 1 rematch against Delaware State University. Tipoff for Saturday's game is scheduled for 2:00 pm.