NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State freshman Chris Fields Jr. poured in a career-high 31 points on Monday night, as the Spartans (11-8, 1-1 MEAC) flew past Virginia University of Lynchburg 118-73 at Echols Hall.
 
22 of Fields' points came in the second half, shooting a hyper-efficient 12-of-13 from the field for the night. Norfolk State's 118 points broke the team's Division I single game record, surpassing the Spartans' 115 points against Newberry College on Nov. 13, 2013.
 
Five Spartans reached double-figures on Monday: Fields, George Beale Jr. (18), Allen Betrand (14), Christian Ings (13), and Daryl Anderson (11). Ings accounted for seven assists, while the team totaled 28 assists, another Division I program record.
 
Norfolk State shot 46-of-79 (58.2 percent) from the floor, knocking down 10-of-30 attempts from behind the arc (33.3 percent).
 
Just one week after tallying 12 rebounds at North Carolina Central, Nyzaiah Chambers pulled down 13 boards against the Dragons on Monday for a new career high.
 
Earning his first start of the season, Beale got comfortable right away, scoring the first eight points of the night for the Spartans on a pair of second-chance baskets and a catch-and-shoot 3-pointer.
 
Anderson and Kuluel Mading both knocked down shots from behind the arc, increasing the advantage to double-digits within four minutes of action. Ings took flight for a thunderous slam a few minutes later, getting the crowd involved.
 
Ings flew to the rim again during the first half, catching a lob from Jack Doumbia on the fast break. Doumbia made a turnaround jumper on the Spartans' next possession for his first points of the night.
 
Fields drained the third 3-pointer of his collegiate career, before going to the rim with power for a layup the next trip down the floor. Tyrese Jenkins knocked down back-to-back shots from behind the arc, helping the Spartans go to halftime with a 59-29 lead.
 
Beale started the second half with the same energy as the first, hitting a 3-pointer as soon as he touched the ball. Ings reached double-figures with a strong layup, finding Doumbia for a baseline slam a few minutes later.
 
Fields began to heat up midway through the second half, getting into the paint at will. A second-chance slam by the Petersburg native put Norfolk State past the 100-point mark, and he added another dunk within minutes.
 
Knocking down a 3-pointer with under four minutes remaining, Fields reached 24 points. Gilbert Brown connected with him for back-to-back baskets in the final minute, setting up a thunderous dunk right before the horn to cap off a career night.
 
Checking The Box Score

• Chris Fields Jr. led the Spartans with a career-high 31 points, shooting 12-of-13 from the floor
• Fields added six rebounds, three steals, and two assists
• Five Spartans scored in double-figures on Monday: Fields, George Beale Jr. (18), Allen Betrand (14), Christian Ings (13), Daryl Anderson (11)
• Ings dished a team-high seven assists, while Gilbert Brown tallied five assists
• Nyzaiah Chambers pulled down a career-high 13 rebounds
• Norfolk State shot 46-of-79 (58.2 percent) from the floor and 10-of-30 (33.3 percent) from behind the arc
• NSU shot 16-of-21 (76.2 percent) from the free throw line
• Norfolk State outscored VUL 64-28 in the paint
• NSU's bench accounted for 63 points, while VUL's bench scored 11

News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 11-8 with the win, 1-1 in MEAC play
• Norfolk State now leads the all-time series between the programs 2-0, both wins coming in the past two seasons
• Chris Fields Jr. led the Spartans with a career-high 31 points, shooting 12-of-13 from the floor
• Fields' performance marked the most points by a Norfolk State freshman in the program's Division I era
• Norfolk State's 118 points broke the team's Division I single-game record, surpassing the Spartans' 115 points against Newberry College on Nov. 13, 2013
• NSU recorded 28 assists, breaking another program Division I single-game record

UP NEXT
 
Returning to conference action, Norfolk State hits the road to face Howard on Saturday, Jan. 20 at Burr Gymnasium in a rematch of the 2023 MEAC Tournament title game. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.
 
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