Norfolk, Va---Jonathan Wade and Zaynah Robinson each scored 10 second half points and the defense too advantage of a tired and undermanned team as Norfolk State pulled away from Howard, 68-53 in the semifinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament at the Norfolk Scope Arena. The Spartans (17-15), the Number 2 seed, advance to the championship on Saturday at 1 pm against the Number 1 seed, North Carolina Central University. The game will be televised live on ESPN2/ESPN3. 

The Bison (10-24) had been the surprise of the tournament after coming in as the Number 11 seed and knocking off both the Number 7 seed, Coppin State and the Number 3 seed, Morgan State. 

Early on, it appeared as though the Bison could perhaps pull off yet another upset. 

With MEAC Rookie of the Year, Charles "CJ" Williams scoring 12 points in the first 20 minutes, Howard took a 32-30 lead to the locker room. James "JT" Miller added seven points, but it got little else from any of the players. 

Norfolk State came out in the first minutes of the second half and wasted no time in putting pressure on the fatigued Bison, who wanted to play a slowdown, grind-it-out game. The Spartans went to their full-court pressure with zone trapping and reeled off a 22-12 run that had the undermanned Bison trying to score. 

"We felt that if we could continue what we had been doing in this tournament, we had a chance for success," said Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "I was surprised that no one else did what they did on the second half. It proved to be effective." 

It resulted into fast break opportunities for Wade and Robinson. Jordan Butler also got into the fray and Howard had no answer. When the trio was not scoring, the inside presence gave the Bison problems. The Spartans, the Number 1 shot blocking team in the MEAC, recorded 9 for the game while also dominating the glass, 52-35. 

The Spartans' defense was so stifling that it held Howard to one field goal over a seven-minute stretch. Adding to that was the fact that fatigue began to set in for the Bison and it showed at the free throw line where they were 5 of 11 in the second half and 8 of 33 from the field. 

"There are no excuses, but when you factor in the injuries and being a lower seed and having games so close together, it has an effect," said Nickelberry. "We have played something like four games in seven days. But I am proud of this group. I have been saying it all along that this team has been resilient." 

Wade finished with 17, Robinson with 16 and Butler with a double double of 10 points and 10 rebounds. 

Williams led Howard with 14 and Collins and Miller with 11 each.