This Week's Schedule
Saturday: vs. Virginia Union, 6 p.m., Joseph Echols Hall
Live Stats | Live Video | Game Notes
Monday: vs. William & Mary, 6 p.m., Joseph Echols Hall
Live Stats | Live Video | Game Notes
NORFOLK, Va. - After feasting on the usual Thanksgiving assortment of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and all the rest, the Norfolk State women's basketball team will feast on the likes of an old foe in the form of NCAA Division II member Virginia Union Saturday at Joseph Echols Hall at 6 p.m. The Spartans will follow that up with William & Mary Monday at 6 p.m. at home.
The game against Virginia Union is now scheduled for 6 p.m. after getting moved back from its original 4 p.m. slot due to the NSU-ODU football playoff game.
NSU owns a 40-17 edge in the all-time series with Virginia Union dating back to the first meeting in 1976-77 during NSU's CIAA days. NSU has won the last three games against the Panthers and 19 of the last 21 dating back to the 1990 CIAA tournament.
William & Mary owns a 10-7 lead in the all-time series with NSU, including victories in the last nine games dating back to the 2000-01 season.
Media Coverage: NSU will provide a live statistical feed of the games, as well as a live video feed of both contests.
Last Time Out: NSU's offense kicked into high gear as the Spartans won a shootout over USC Upstate, 94-81, last Monday in Spartanburg, S.C. NSU hit better than 50 percent for the second time this season, with a key 22-2 run midway through the second half proving to be the difference in the game.
Rachel Gordon scored a career-high 25 points on 9-of-13 shooting with 12 rebounds, while Recca Trice handed out a career-high 14 assists. Rae Corbo and Whitney Long contributed 17 and 15 points, respectively, while Marian Brooks also joined them in double figures with 11. Tee'Ara Copney led USC Upstate with 25 points.
Trice Sets Assist Record: With 14 assists against USC Upstate, Trice broke her own Division I record for assists in a game, which had previously stood at 12 set her freshman year at South Carolina State. No other D-I player has ever had 12 assists in a game.
The all-time program record is held by Lisa Rice and Lamonica Filer, who each tallied 20 assists in a game in the mid-90s during NSU's D-II days in the CIAA.
Defensive Minded: Rachel Gordon has tallied double-digit efforts in rebounds all four games this year, with 40 percent of those boards on the offensive end. Dating back to last season, Gordon has posted 10 or more rebounds in seven of the last nine games.
Offensive Explosion: The 94 points scored against USC Upstate marked the most scored in regulation in almost 13 years dating back to a 97-62 win over South Carolina State at home on Jan. 9, 1999. NSU also scored 94 points in an overtime victory against Howard on Feb. 4, 2008. The 174 combined points between NSU and USC Upstate are the most since NSU and Howard combined for 177 in a 93-84 Bison victory on March 3, 2008.
The 80 total points scored against Texas Southern to start off the season marked NSU's highest point total in 87 games dating back to that 93-84 loss.
More Near Records: NSU's 34 field goals against USC Upstate were just three off the D-I record of 37 set against Howard in Feb. 2008. The Spartans also tallied 22 assists, one off the D-I record of 23 set at South Carolina State on Jan. 8, 2005. The all-time program records stand at 62 field goals and 38 assists, both accomplished on Nov. 20, 1990 in a 143-43 win over Fayetteville State.
Dominating the Boards: NSU has outrebounded all four of its opponents this season after doing the same in the first five games of last season. So far this year, the Spartans are outrebounding their opponents by 10.8 boards per game.
Light 'em Up: NSU's second half blitz against Texas Southern allowed the Spartans to finish with a 56.6 percent shooting clip for the game, the best mark by NSU in the Division I era from 1997-98 until now. Previously, a 54.8 percent clip against North Carolina A&T on March 5, 2009 had stood as the best D-I mark.
NSU's 53.1 percent shooting clip against USC Upstate stands as the sixth-best mark in D-I history.
What's the Opposite of a Sophomore Slump?: Rachel Gordon has tallied 13.5 points and 11.3 rebounds per game this year, to go along with a 48.8 shooting percentage and a 73.7 percent effort from the free throw line. Her production is up 7.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game from last year, while her overall and free throw shooting are up .026 and .282 percentage points, respectively.
Defensive Battle: The 95 combined points between NSU and Wofford marked the fewest points in a game since Jan. 24, 2005, when NSU and Delaware State combined for 93 points in a 56-37 Hornet win. The all-time NSU record for fewest points combined in a game stands at 88, a 48-40 NSU win over Howard on Jan. 31, 1976.
More Defense: Recca Trice tied her career high with seven steals at Wofford. It has been more than five years since an NSU player had more than that in a single game, when Ashley Bowman added tallied eight steals against Hampton on March 7, 2006. The all-time program record stands at 12 by Lisa Rice in the mid-90's, while the Division I record is owned by Dekisha Thompson, who had 10 late in the 2001-02 season.
Trio of Scorers: Rae Corbo, Whitney Long and Rachel Gordon have combined to score 175 of the team's 279 total points on the year, 62.7 percent of the team's total scoring.
Glad to be Home: After opening previous seasons on the road for much of the first two months of the season, including no homes games until mid-January during the 2008-09 season, NSU will play its most home games in five years as 13 different teams come to Joseph Echols Hall this year. Included in that list are fellow state of Virginia schools William & Mary, Radford and George Mason.
Up Next: The Spartans will kick off their conference season with a pair of doubleheaders with the men's team, beginning Dec. 3 against Savannah State at 4 p.m. and Dec. 5 against South Carolina State at 6 p.m.
