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Women's Basketball Karen M. Carty, Asst. SID

Payne’s Career Night Snaps 26-Game Losing Streak, NSU Routs S.C. State 75-52

Raychele Payne scored a career-high 36 points in NSU's 1st win of the season

Box Score

NORFOLK, Va. — Norfolk State sophomore guard Raychele Payne (Newport News, Va.) scored a career-high 36 points to help the Spartans to their first win of the season, a 75-52 victory over South Carolina State, on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall. The win snapped a 26-game losing streak that dated back to a 69-45 win over Winston-Salem State on Feb. 25, 2008.

Payne was 13-of-30 from the field, including 4-of-11 from 3-point range, and had 21 points in the first half.

NSU (1-22, 1-12 MEAC) operated on all cylinders from the beginning of the game. Payne scored the Spartans' first two baskets to put NSU up 4-0 with 17:49 left in the first half. Kristin Johnson got SCSU (5-19, 2-11) on the board with a layup with 16:48 left and the Lady Bulldogs took a 5-4 lead on a layup by Shontavious Wylie at the 16:28 mark.

The teams traded buckets for the next several minutes, but NSU took the lead, 15-13, on two free throws by Tashawna Higgins (Toronto, Ontario) with 11:15 left in the opening period. The Spartans jumped out to a 14-point lead, 31-17, over the next five minutes behind Payne's hot shooting, but SCSU outscored the Spartans 16-4 during the last 5:47 of the half to cut the deficit to two, 35-33, at halftime.

Wylie hit a layup with 19:07 left in the game to tie the game 35-all, but Payne hit a trey ball to give NSU a lead it would not relinquish for the remainder of the game. Two free throws by Payne with 36 seconds left in the game put NSU up by 25 and a jumper by Raina Chambers for SCSU ended the scoring for the game.

As a team, NSU recorded season-highs in field goals made (27), steals (20) and blocked shots (five). Individually, Payne had season-highs in field goals made and attempted, 3-pointers made, and free throws made and attempted (6-of-9).

Marie Reid led SCSU with 12 points, while Sophilia Hipps had 11 and Wylie had 10.

For NSU, Higgins added 15 points, five rebounds and two steals and Whitney Long (Raleigh, N.C.) had 10 points. Sasha Wilson (West Columbia, S.C.) was a defensive surprise for the Spartans as she recorded five rebounds, two blocks and career-high six steals.

NSU hosts Winston-Salem State on Monday at 6 p.m.

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