Norfolk State 115, Newberry 95
NORFOLK, Va. -- Guard Pendarvis Williams scored a career-high 38 points as the Norfolk State Spartans rebounded from a season-opening loss to Texas Southern and rolled to a 115-95 victory against Newberry College on Wednesday night at Joseph Echols Hall.
Williams, who scored 18 points and grabbed three rebounds in the first half, finished with seven boards, four assists and a steal for the Spartans (1-1).
The Wolves were led by forward Dondray Walker, who contributed 20 points off the bench.
Newberry, a Division II program located in South Carolina that was playing its third game in four days, jumped out to a 13-9 lead five minutes into the game. But by the time Williams scored his 10th point at the 11-minute mark, Norfolk regained the lead, 21-18.
The Spartans led by as many as 11 points in the first half, but Newberry stormed back and regained the lead, 48-46, with under two minutes to play on guard Gerald Evans' 3-pointer.
Norfolk scored the final five points and went to the break ahead 51-48.
Williams stayed hot out of intermission and helped the Spartans run away with it. The 6-foot-6 senior from Philadelphia scored eight straight points midway through the second half, pushing Norfolk to its biggest lead of the night at 22 points.
Norfolk forward Rashid Gaston added a double-double (20 points and 10 rebounds), while guard Malcolm Hawkins scored 15 points and guard Jamal Fuentes added 12.
Norfolk State will next host Virginia Union on Friday.
Guard Demarkus Smith added 18 points for the Wolves, while fellow guard Jamie Harper had 17. Evans was Newberry's only other player in double figures, with 10 points.
Newberry came into the game 2-0 after beating its first two opponents by an average of 21 points. The Wolves next host Coker College on Wednesday in their South Atlantic Conference opener.
Wednesday's game was considered an exhibition for Newberry, although Norfolk State counted it toward its regular-season record.
