Norfolk State Stages Epic Comeback In A Thrilling Victory Over North Carolina Central

The MEAC combatants delivered an exciting game in front of the Norfolk State faithful.

Norfolk State Defeats NCCU In A Thriller / Credit: NSU Athletics

Brian Moore Jr. drained a three-pointer as the buzzer sounded to give Norfolk State (16-8, 6-1 MEAC) a thrilling 81-78 victory over North Carolina Central (10-13, 3-3 MEAC) at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall.   

With the game tied at 78, the Spartans had 2.2 seconds left in regulation to go the length of the court for a chance to win.  

As Jaylani Darden inbounded the basketball to Kuluel Mading near halfcourt, Moore was racing from his defender to collect the pass. He caught it and coolly sank the trey off the backboard, sending the arena into a frenzy. Unbeknownst to the crowd, Moore was fouled on the play and went to the foul line with 0.7 seconds remaining.

"They executed it to perfection," Coach Jones said. "It's not something that we practiced, it was a straight draw-up play. They executed it to perfection."

GAME WINNER! BRIAN MOORE JR. @NSUSpartans 81 NCCU 78 #GoldStandard🔰 pic.twitter.com/22iIcrqVEx

— Norfolk State Men's Basketball (@NSU_BBALL) February 4, 2025

The Spartans were fortunate that officials did not penalize the team as fans rushed onto the gymnasium floor during the celebration.

The see-saw battle was an entertaining matchup between two of the MEAC's best coaches and their teams. However, NCCU will be licking their wounds as they led by ten points and controlled the game for most of the second half.

BY THE NUMBERS

• Brian Moore Jr. led the Spartans with 19 points, scoring 17 in the second half
• Kuluel Mading added 15 points and six rebounds, while Jaylani Darden tallied 13 points and six boards
• Terrance Jones (11) and Jalen Myers (10) scored in double-figures as well
• NCCU forward Perry Smith Jr. had a career-high 24 points on 11-of-15 shooting and grabbed nine rebounds.  A career-high for Smith.
• Po'Boigh King (15), Keishon Porter (10) and Isaac Parson (10) also scored in double figures.
• The teams went to halftime tied 37-37
• Monday's game featured 16 ties and 10 lead changes
• Norfolk State shot 28-of-50 from the floor (56.0 percent)
• North Carolina Central led 70-60 with 7:25 to play, before Norfolk State ended the game on a 21-8 run

GAME NOTES

• Norfolk State improved to 16-8 with the win, 6-1 in MEAC play
• North Carolina Central dropped to 10-13, 3-3 in the MEAC
• Norfolk State now leads the all-time series with North Carolina Central 36-19
• Brian Moore Jr. reached 2,000 career points at the college level with an and-one layup in the second half. He scored 1,064 of his points at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M (JUCO), 493 at Murray State, and now has 454 points at NSU
• Moore's sealing 3-pointer marked Norfolk State's first last-second game winning field goal since Steven Whitley's buzzer beater against Bethune-Cookman on Jan. 27, 2018
• Norfolk State overcame a double-digit deficit on the path to victory for the first time this season, and the first time since defeating Purdue Fort Wayne in the 2024 CIT Championship game
• NSU improved to 38-1 in head coach Robert Jones' tenure when five Spartans score in double figures

Norfolk State Spartans will square off against Maryland Eastern Shore Eagles at 4 PM ET on Saturday, Feb. 15 in another conference clash.  

The Howard Bison will host the NCCU Eagles on Saturday, Feb. 8. The tip off is scheduled for 4 PM ET.

*Game info courtesy NCCU Athletics and NSU Athletics

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