Pitt scores 24, Norfolk defeats UTEP in Sun Bowl tourney
EL PASO, Texas -- Mastadi Pitt scored 24 points and Norfolk State pulled away in the second half to defeat UTEP 75-62 at the Sun Bowl Invitational on Friday night.
Pitt made 4 of 5 3-pointers, 7 of 9 from the field overall, and 6 of 7 free throws. Derrik Jamerson added 13 points and C.J. Kelly scored 10 points for the Spartans (5-8).
Evan Gilyard led the Miners (4-6) with 20 points, Efe Odigie added 18 points and Paul Thomas grabbed 17 rebounds. UTEP led 40-23 on the boards.
The Spartans led 34-32 with 15:56 remaining in the second half and pushed their advantage to 10 points two minutes later. The lead was 57-43 with eight minutes remaining and peaked at 64-46 with 6:53 to go. The margin stayed in double digits for the remainder of the game.
Norfolk will play East Tennessee State (9-4) in the championship game on Saturday. ETSU defeated Wyoming 76-53 on Friday night.
Game Information
- Referees:
- Doran Gotschall
- Casey McClellan
- Eric Curry
2023-24 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Norfolk State | 11-3 | - | 24-11 |
| North Carolina Central | 9-5 | 2 | 18-13 |
| Howard | 9-5 | 2 | 18-17 |
| South Carolina State | 9-5 | 2 | 14-18 |
| Morgan State | 7-7 | 4 | 11-20 |
| Delaware State | 6-8 | 5 | 15-19 |
| Maryland-Eastern Shore | 4-10 | 7 | 9-20 |
| Coppin State | 1-13 | 10 | 2-27 |
2023-24 Conference USA Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sam Houston | 13-3 | - | 21-12 |
| Louisiana Tech | 12-4 | 1 | 22-10 |
| Western Kentucky | 8-8 | 5 | 22-12 |
| Liberty | 7-9 | 6 | 18-14 |
| UTEP | 7-9 | 6 | 18-16 |
| Middle Tennessee | 7-9 | 6 | 14-19 |
| New Mexico State | 7-9 | 6 | 13-19 |
| Jacksonville State | 6-10 | 7 | 14-18 |
| Florida International | 5-11 | 8 | 11-22 |
Men's College Basketball News
