THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 9, 1995 TAG: 9502090580
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Norfolk State had a simple plan for avoiding a letdown Wednesday night against St. Paul's, one of the perennial bottom-feeders in the CIAA North.
``Jump on them early and knock them out,'' guard Marvin Stinson said.
The Spartans did just that, scoring the games's first 13 points and running away with an 86-71 victory at Echols Arena.
Norfolk State (19-3, 8-2 CIAA North) knocked St. Paul's down early but didn't finish the job until midway through the second half, when a 12-0 run gave the Spartans a 23-point lead with nine minutes left.
``We had lax moments, but for the most part we shut them down,'' Norfolk State coach Mike Bernard said. `When you shut people down, you're going to have opportunities for easy baskets.''
Norfolk State held St. Paul's (6-16, 1-9) to 35 percent shooting, although the Tigers did hit 10 of 26 from 3-point range, enough to keep the score respectable.
``We didn't really knock them out like we wanted to,'' Stinson said.
It was a bit of a businesslike victory for the seventh-ranked Spartans, who have won two in a row after a loss to Virginia Union on Saturday night.
The Spartans were up, 26-9, with 7:40 left in the first half and led, 48-27, at the break.
Norfolk State pushed the lead to 26 before St. Paul's went on an 18-3 run. Bernard called time and St. Paul's didn't score again for five minutes. Meanwhile, Stinson helped end the Tigers comeback hopes with a pair of timely 3-pointers.
The 6-foot-3 guard came off the bench to score 16 points, and was 4 of 6 on 3-pointers. He's averaging 17 points over the last three games.
``Basically, it's confidence,'' Stinson said. ``I think I'm getting an understanding of the system, and coach has more confidence in me shooting the ball.''
Derrick Bryant, who had 24 points and 18 rebounds in an 84-74 victory at St. Paul's last month, followed it with 23 points and 11 rebounds Wednesday.
The Spartans shot 49 percent, but it was their defense that took St. Paul's out of the game. Corey Williams and Blitz Wooten combined to block five shots and pull down 16 rebounds.
``We dictated the start of both halves with defense,'' Bernard said.
St. Paul's was overmatched inside and relied heavily on long jumpers. Marlon Lancaster and Kamau Street combined to hit 7 of 13 from 3-point range, but many of them came when the game was long decided.
Street led the Tigers with 24 points, while Street had 16. Coach Ed Joyner shuffled 14 players, and St. Paul's had an edge on the boards, 44-41.
Norfolk State hosts Hampton Saturday night. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by D. KEVIN ELLIOTT, Staff
St. Paul's Richard Avent, left, and Norfolk State's Marvin Stinson,
who scored 16 points in a 21-minute stint, scrap for a loose ball.
by CNB