RALEIGH, N.C. — The Norfolk State men's basketball team (15-14, 11-5 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) opens play in the 2008 MEAC Tournament quarterfinals against Florida A&M on Thursday night at 6 p.m. at the RBC Center.

The Spartans, coming off their highest-ever MEAC finish (tied for second, seeded third) received just the second first-round MEAC bye in program history (the other was 2005). They will meet defending MEAC Tournament champion FAMU (15-16). The sixth-seeded Rattlers advanced to Thursday's quarterfinals with a 70-61 win over No. 11 Maryland Eastern Shore in the tournament's first round on Wednesday afternoon.

NSU won the only previous meeting between the teams this season, 77-66, in Tallahassee on Feb. 11. The two schools have never met in the MEAC Tournament.

The Spartans, who have lost four of their last five coming into the tournament, are 6-8 all-time in MEAC Tournament play. They have advanced as far as the semifinals on two previous occasions, 2001 and 2006.

Fans who cannot attend Thursday's game have several ways to follow the action. The game will be broadcast on WNSB Hot 91.1 FM in the Hampton Roads area, with Ross Gordon and Terence Green calling the action. WNSB's audio stream is available on-line at www.nsuspartans.com

For the first time in tournament history, the MEAC is also providing free live video streaming of all tournament games through Friday's semifinals at www.meachoops.com and www.meacsports.com. Live statistics are available at http://www.hbculivestats.com/meac/xlive.htm.