Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State women’s basketball team rallied from a 19-point second-half deficit but it was not enough to outdo the University of Alabama Birmingham as the Blazers posted a 55-53 win over the Spartans in the 2009 UAB Thanksgiving Classic on Friday night at Bartow Arena.

UAB improved to 2-3 on the season with the win, while NSU fell to 1-3.

Things were close for most of the first half, but the Blazers took a 10-point lead, 32-22, into halftime.

UAB started the second half on a 9-0 run which was capped by a layup by Miteka Truehart with 13:52 left in the game. Raychele Payne (Newport News, Va.) ended NSU’s scoring drought with a layup at the 13:33 mark to bring the score to 41-24. The Spartans then went on a 17-2 run to get within two, 43-41, with 7:21 left.

A pair of free throws by Whitney Long (Raleigh, N.C.) with 4:31 left gave NSU its largest lead of the game, 46-43, but UAB was able to hang on for the win. A pair of free throws by Jala Harris with 15 seconds left broke a 53-all tie and Danelle Tate (Stafford, Va.) missed a jumper on the other end at the buzzer.

Harris led UAB with 17 points and added three rebounds and three assists. Amanda Peterson and Tamika Dukes each had eight points for the Blazers.

Marquilla Evans (Portsmouth, Va.) led NSU with 12 points. Tate had eight points and 11 boards, while Payne added eight points and two assists.

The Spartans close out the tournament on Saturday when they play Samford at 1 p.m. (Central).