NORFOLK, Va. – The Shenandoah University men's basketball team opened up its 2016-17 season Sunday evening with a 78-58 exhibition loss to Division I Norfolk State.

Shenandoah (0-0) led for the initial 10 minutes of the game and did not permanently give up the lead until the Spartans (1-1) scored seven straight points in the latter part of the first half.

Leading 18-16 after Malcolm Clark made one of two from the line with 7:40 remaining, NSU reeled off that 7-0 run in a 67-second span to take a 23-18 lead with 6:04 left.

Clark drained a 3-pointer at 5:41 to stop the Norfolk State run, but the hosts would hold onto the lead for the remainder of the contest.

The Spartans outscored Shenandoah 14-5 in the final 5:14 of the first to take a 37-26 lead into the break.

NSU scored six of the initial eight points of the second and maintained a double-digit lead throughout the stanza.

The Hornets battled for the entire 40 minutes and scored 14 of the game's final 24 points to provide the final margin of victory.

Junior Kaimonne Douglas paced coach Rob Pryor's club with 20 points – Douglas was 5 for 10 from the field (2 three-pointers) and 8 of 11 from the line to account for his team-high total.

Clark had 17 points on 7 of 14 shooting from the field (2 three-pointers) and was 1 of 4 from the charity stripe.

Shenandoah shot 32.7 percent from the field (18 of 55) and was out-rebounded 40-32.

SU officially opens its season on Tuesday with an 8 p.m. non-league contest at Washington (Md.).

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