Help can't come fast enough for Norfolk State

HARRISONBURG

Norfolk State sure could use some help on its basketball front line, and the Spartans will get it - in 12 days, when transfers Christian Morris and Marcos Tamares become eligible.

Until then, they are limping through the first half of the season, riding Michael Deloach as much as possible - even as Deloach is limping along with a turf-toe injury.

James Madison coach Matt Brady raved about Deloach on Wednesday night, but even the 6-foot guard couldn't keep the Spartans from a 72-64 loss at the JMU Convocation Center.

"That kid's fabulous," said Brady, in his second year as JMU's coach. "If he improves his outside shot just a little, he's going to make a lot of money playing ball.

"We knew after seeing him on tape that he was really, really quick. Our goal was to have three guys between him and the basket every time he touched the ball. Even then, he went by us a couple of times. "

Deloach finished with game-highs of 25 points and 12 rebounds. He had a double-double by halftime - 13 points, 10 rebounds. And his 3-pointer gave the Spartans a short-lived 31-30 lead at the start of the second half.

But even Deloach is counting the days until Morris, a 6-9 center from Rutgers, and Tamares, a 6-7 forward from Maryland-Baltimore County, become eligible. The pair should take the court when the Spartans visit Jacksonville State on Dec. 15.

"We will be so much better," Deloach said. "And so different.

"We're playing with three post guys right now, and that's not nearly enough. When we get Christian and Marcos... people are going to look at our record and are going to make a mistake when they underestimate us. And Kyle O'Quinn is going to get to move to the power forward spot. He's playing center right now, and that's not his natural position."

Already short-handed along the front line, the Spartans (1-6) were also missing their point guard Wednesday. Aleek Pauline stayed in Norfolk to have his hand, injured at a tournament at Illinois State last weekend, examined. He has a fractured bone and is out indefinitely.

"We won't have him Saturday" for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener against North Carolina A&T, coach Anthony Evans said. "We're going to have to play point guard by committee for a while."

Norfolk State's chances to win this one seemed to evaporate early in the second half as the Dukes (4-2) beat the Spartans repeatedly to loose balls.

A 3-pointer by Julius Wells keyed an 8-0 run as JMU took a 38-31 lead. From that point, the teams pretty much traded buckets to the end.

"We gave up something like 13 offensive rebounds," Deloach said. (Actually, it was 14.) "That's the game right there."

Rob Hampton chipped in with 14 points for the Spartans; O'Quinn added 11.

Pierre Curtis led the Dukes with 17 points as he surpassed 1,000 points for his career. Wells had 14, as the Dukes put five players in double figures.

Rich Radford, (757) 446-2463, rich.radford@pilotonline.com