Norfolk State Coach Demands More Respect After Gritty Fight Against Maryland

Norfolk State may have entered Saturday's women's NCAA Tournament game against Maryland as heavy underdogs, but they left the court with heads held high, even after falling 82-69. The Spartans gave the Terrapins, a much-favored team, a serious scare, keeping the game competitive well into the fourth quarter.

In a first-round matchup few expected to be this close, Norfolk State stormed out of the gates, scoring the first seven points. By halftime, the Spartans held a narrow 32-30 lead, showing that their reputation as a scrappy, determined squad was no fluke. Even into the fourth quarter, they were just four points behind the Terrapins.

After the game, Norfolk State’s long-time head coach, Larry Vickers, didn’t mince words about what he felt the Spartans deserve: more respect. "This group won 30 games this year, 27 games last year, 26 games the year before, and we still walk into these things having to get respect from the three people on the floor," Vickers said. His frustration, though carefully worded, was palpable. "I’m not going to complain about officiating. That’s not what I’m going to do. But when you all see these Spartan heads in your gym, I think we should get a little bit more respect than we get."

Maryland did take control during a pivotal third quarter, making all 12 of their free throws. For the game, the Spartans were called for 21 fouls compared to Maryland’s 12, and the Terrapins capitalized, going 23-of-25 from the free-throw line. While Vickers acknowledged his team’s role in the fouls, he couldn’t help but point out the disparity. "I’m not saying that the officiating lost us that game," he said. "We fouled. And we fouled. And we fouled. And we fouled. And we fouled jump shooters, and we fouled jump shooters some more." Okay, coach, we get it—there were a lot of fouls.

Despite the loss, Vickers had high praise for standout guard Diamond Johnson, who scored 18 points and remains a key player for the Spartans. He also took the opportunity to defend her against what he sees as unfair criticism of her WNBA Draft potential, saying, "She needs to be on every mid-major finalist list, every Dawn Staley award winner finalist list, every Nancy Lieberman finalist list. She’s super special."

As for his own future, Vickers was tight-lipped. With nine successful seasons under his belt at Norfolk State, speculation about his next move is inevitable. But when asked, he simply responded, "We all have visions and goals. I don’t know. I don’t know. We’ll see." Cryptic, but fair enough.

While the scoreboard didn’t show a win, Norfolk State’s performance was a clear statement: underestimate the Spartans at your own risk. And maybe, just maybe, the respect Vickers is demanding is finally on its way.