NORFOLK, Va., March 14, 2019-- The No. 5 Howard University women's basketball team fell 72-51 to No. 4 Norfolk State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) basketball tournament at Norfolk Scope Arena.

The Bison (18-13) were led by Krislyn Marsh. The All-MEAC Rookie Team selection had a team-high 16 points.

In the first half the two teams remained close in score. The Spartans (16-14)  gained a marginal lead going into the half, 34-28, with Marsh and Jayla Thornton putting up 15 combined points.

The third quarter saw the Bison outscored by the Spartans, 17-15. Howard was plagued by turnovers with Norfolk State capitalizing off of the lapses. The Spartans turned the Bison's 19 turnovers into 21 points.

Coming into Thursday's game, the Bison led the MEAC in scoring offense, averaging 71.7 points per game. This was the third consecutive game in which Howard was held to less than 60 points, losing each game.

"We didn't hit shots tonight," said head coach Ty Grace "When we don't score, it is a rough night and we definitely have to rely on defense. We lead the league in scoring so if we are scoring 50 points a night and not guarding, it's going to be a long night."

An unstoppable 17-2 run in the fourth quarter gave Norfolk State a commanding lead. Shooting just 18-of-59 from the floor and 3-of-23 from downtown, the Bison could not get the shots needed to comeback. The Spartans moved on the semifinal round with its win over Howard.

"We came up short today but there's still a bright future for Howard women's basketball," expressed Grace. 

Jayla Thornton contributed 12 points.

Norfolk had three players in double digits. La'Deja James had a game-high 18 points. Raven Russell contributed 11 points. Dana Echols added 10 points.

The Spartans will face the No. 1 North Carolina A&T Aggies on Friday at noon.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.
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