Moore's career-best propels Norfolk State to road win at High Point

 

Norfolk State guard Brian Moore scored a career-best 33 in Sunday's victory at High Point.  (Photo:  Norfolk State Athletics)

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HIGH POINT, N.C. – Norfolk State basketball is past the point of surprising anyone.

The Spartans are favored to win the MEAC this season, they have a highly-respected coach, and they will get everyone’s best shot every time they take the floor. Those reasons played into High Point’s desire to get Norfolk State on its schedule.

After Sunday, High Point has a lot to review and little time to do so – but don’t tell them that’s a negative.

Norfolk State guard Brian Moore guided the Spartans from beginning to end – including hitting the two free throws that sealed the outcome – in scoring 33 points on 13-of-21 shooting as the Spartans held off High Point, 77-74, before an announced crowd of 2,743 at the Qubein Center.

“We thought we had a pretty solid plan for him,” High Point coach Alan Huss said of Moore. “We really let him split way too often. We got spread out and he really filleted us. He snaked some middle pick-and-rolls. He just lived in the paint and was way too comfortable.

“We knew this was a hard game when we scheduled it. We thought it would be a great test prior to the conference season. They were better than us. They had a better plan than us. They executed that plan better. They were the better team today.”

Norfolk State (9-6) broke the seal on a Kuluel Mading three on its first possession, then surrendered an early lead on a Kimani Hamilton triple that squared the contest at seven apiece. Chase Johnston gave High Point the lead on its next possession, followed by his being assessed a technical foul for his response to the made basket.

“You get a technical for shooting an arrow or whatever the heck he did,” Huss said. “Everybody does it on every made three. I didn’t like it, but it ended up being the difference in the game, maybe. We had three times we stepped out of bounds. We missed two dunks. We missed a number of other layups.”

After another Johnston triple put High Point ahead, 15-14, Christian Ings hit a floater to put Norfolk State back in front. The Spartans controlled the advantage for much of the remainder of the half, interrupted by a D’Maurian Williams triple that gave the Panthers a 34-33 advantage. Moore then hit a jumper that keyed a quick 6-0 burst to close the half and give Norfolk State a 39-34 margin at the interval.

High Point (12-3) eliminated the deficit just four minutes into the second half, using a trio of Johnston threes from increasing areas of difficulty to surge ahead, 46-45. Johnston would add another to give the Panthers a four-point lead. Moore would then counter on the opposite end to pull the Spartans within two, followed by a Tyrel Bladen hook that drew the game back level. Two Moore free throws would give Norfolk back the advantage.

Norfolk State would gradually extend its lead to nine just past the eight-minute mark, as Chris Fields put home a free throw. The Spartans continued to lead by multiple possessions for the next several minutes, despite being unable to capitalize on several tries to extend the game into double digits. 

High Point had one more remaining surge, though.

The Panthers tore off an 8-2 burst in a minute and a half, with Johnston and Kezza Giffa sinking threes before a Kimani Hamilton bucket sliced the Norfolk lead to one and induced a timeout from Spartans coach Robert Jones. Moore had the answer out of the stoppage, putting home a leaner that moved the Spartans back ahead by three. Moore again connected on a short jumper following two Giffa free throws, giving the visitors a 75-72 lead with 23 seconds remaining.

High Point had a look to tie the game on its final full possession, but Simon Hildebrandt’s three-point attempt fell short. Williams boarded the miss and put home a bucket, but High Point had little more it could do than foul Moore and watch him sink the final two free throws of the game.

“They made a good defensive play,” Huss said of Norfolk State’s defense on the final try. “We were trying to run a play that we’ve run a few times in the past – we were trying to run the counter to it. They did a nice job of staying attached. I really thought we’d catch them sleeping and we’d get Simon a step in and we didn’t. We didn’t execute it very well.”

Moore’s 33 led the Spartans and all scorers. The graduate student from Harlem eclipsed his prior career-high of 31, set against William & Mary in November. Moore made 13 shots – also a career-high.

“I think that was the game. I think (spacing) was the issue,” Huss said of his team’s defensive effort on Moore. “You can reduce it really to that. Can you, at the end of the day, make him give the basketball up? He’s such a long strider. He does a lot of things that guards don’t really do at this level a ton. He’s so good at it. On top of that, he makes us pay – he ends up with six assists and 33 points. He was the difference in the game. He was the best guard on the floor and the best player on the floor today.”

Ings added 12 for the Spartans, putting home 5-of-6 tries from the field. Norfolk State shot 53.8 percent from the field (28-for-52), despite a 5-for-15 effort (33.3 percent) from distance. The Spartans also held an eye-popping 40-8 advantage on points in the paint.

Johnston led the Panthers with 23, draining 8-of-14 tries from the deck. Hamilton booked a double-double, pouring in 18 points and snaring 15 misses. Giffa added 12 points, with half that total coming from the charity stripe. Juslin Bodo Bodo dominated the boards for the Panthers, pulling down 17 boards (nine offensive). The Panthers shot just 34.5 percent (19-for-55) from the field, sinking just four two-point tries. High Point finished 15-for-36 (41.7 percent) from deep and 21-for-33 (63.6 percent) from the free throw line.

Norfolk State finishes non-MEAC play Tuesday afternoon from Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, as the Spartans battle top-ranked Tennessee. Streaming coverage will be available over SEC Network+ and ESPN+. High Point welcomes Radford to the Qubein Center Thursday to open the Big South conference slate. The game will be broadcast as the first installment of the league’s Wildcard Thursday slate, with action set to tip at 7:00 (Eastern) on ESPNU.

NORFOLK STATE 77, HIGH POINT 74

NORFOLK STATE (9-6)

Mading 3-7 0-1 7, Myers 1-3 4-5 7, Ings 5-6 2-4 12, Jones 0-1 0-0 0, Moore 13-21 7-7 33, McMahon 2-8 0-0 6, Bladen 2-2 0-2 4, Leakes 0-0 0-0 0, Fields 0-2 2-2 2, Darden 2-2 1-2 6. Totals 28-52 16-23 77.

HIGH POINT (12-3)

Hamilton 4-7 9-12 18, Bodo Bodo 0-2 3-7 3, Giffa 2-9 6-7 12, Johnston 8-14 0-0 24, Williams 3-14 1-3 9, Benham 2-6 0-0 6, Hildebrandt 0-1 0-0 0, Pettiford 0-2 0-2 0, Ibukunoluwa 0-0 2-2 2, Anderson 0-0 0-0 0, Thiam 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-55 21-33 74.

Halftime:  Norfolk State 39-34. 3-Point goals:  High Point 15-36 (Hamilton 1-2, Giffa 2-6, Johnston 8-13, Williams 2-7, Benham 2-6, Hildebrandt 0-1, Pettiford 0-1), Norfolk State 5-15 (Mading 1-3, Myers 1-2, Moore 0-1, McMahon 2-7, Fields 0-1, Darden 1-1). Fouled out:  NA.  Rebounds:  High Point 41 (Bodo Bodo 17), Norfolk State 31 (Myers/Moore 5). Total fouls:  Norfolk State 25, High Point 19. Technicals:  Johnston (HPU).

Points off turnovers:  Norfolk State 12, High Point 12.  Points in the paint:  Norfolk State 40, High Point 8. Second-chance points:  High Point 19, Norfolk State 15.  Fast-break points:  High Point 17, Norfolk State 11.  Bench points:  Norfolk State 18, High Point 8.