Dana Tate found good fortune in Las Vegas without going anywhere near a card table or slot machine.

The 6-foot-7 Norfolk State University graduate student from Boston scored a career high 24 points as the Spartans defeated North Carolina A&T, 70-66, during the Chris Paul HBCU Challenge title at the MGM Grand.

Tate, who transferred to NSU from Rhode Island, hit six 3-pointers while also passing for three assists and grabbing three rebounds.

Kris Bankston added 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots against the Aggies.

The previous night, NSU topped Hampton, 78-66, with Joe Bryant scoring 23 points and 14 rebounds.

The victory lifted the Spartans to 9-4 overall this season, and 4-0 against members of the Colonial Athletic Association (A&T, Hampton, William & Mary and Monmouth).

Coach Robert Jones’ squad is among the top HBCUs in the nation and on track for a third straight MEAC title and NCAA tournament berth.

Bryant, a graduate student from Norfolk’s Lake Taylor High, averages 16 points and five rebounds and is clearly a candidate for a third straight MEAC Player of the Year Award.

The 6-foot-8 Bankston averages 14 points and seven rebounds and is the leader in blocked shots with 20. Cahiem Brown, a 6-foot-5 junior from Brooklyn, averages 13 points and five boards.

Daryl Anderson, a 6-foot-6 junior from North Chesterfield, averages six points and four rebounds and has made 17 of 47 3-pointers.

The NET is the standard statistic that determines national rankings. Out of some 350 Division I schools, NSU ranked 186 starting this week. Only Grambling at 128 was higher.

Most of the HBCUs are well below 250, in part because they play so many road games in the early season.