RICHMOND, Va. -- Norfolk State women's coach James Sweat said the feeling he got after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title was the same as he got years back from winning a national championship.

The former came in 1987-88, when Sweat was coaching at Hampton in Division II. The latter came Saturday, and at Hampton's expense.

"For us, getting into the 64 is like winning the national championship," Sweat said after the Spartans earned their first Division I NCAA tournament bid by beating Hampton 61-52 in the MEAC championship.

"This is our championship, winning the MEAC."

Lawanda Newman scored 14 points and sparked a late 8-0 run for the Spartans, and Norfolk State's box-and-one defense held Hampton scoring leader LaShondra Dixon to nine points, only half her average.

"I knew that we had to shut Dixon down," said Brandy Martin, who drew much of that assignment and scored 12 points. "She's their go-to player."

Dixon said the defense was geared to stop her.

"I've been seeing it since I was a freshman against them," Dixon said. "We just didn't execute, and once I did get open, it was like, `I'm open,' and I was rushing my shots."

The Spartans, meanwhile, had balance. Martin hit four 3-pointers in five tries. Suawana Taylor had 12 points, 11 rebounds and five assists. And Shavonne Burke had 11 points, including a crucial jumper late.

But the key, Sweat said, was getting through some early jitters.

"Our girls were nervous. They weren't thinking well and we were making some dumb decisions on the floor," he said. "When we went into the locker room at halftime, I knew we were going to win because they didn't put us away. I told the girls, `They had their half. Go have yours."'

Newman's putback with 4:37 left created the ninth and final lead change of a tight second half. Taylor's driving basket with 3:49 left made it 52-48, and Burke added a 15-footer 35 seconds later to make it 54-48.

Hampton (17-14) then began rushing its shots, and missed 10 of 12 in the final 5½ minutes, including several easy ones in close.

The third-seeded Spartans (22-8) played tough defense on everyone, holding Hampton to under 33 percent shooting, including 1-for-19 on 3s.

Lineni Noa led Hampton with 13 points, and Halisi Johnson had 12.

"I just couldn't find it today," said Noa, a senior guard who attempted to pick up some of Dixon's slack, but missed 18 of 24 shots.

"It's sad that it had to be today."