Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - The NSU men's basketball team (10-5, 2-0 MEAC) resumes MEAC play with a pair of home conference tilts beginning Saturday against UMES (3-11, 0-1). Tip-off for the game, which has also been designated Military Appreciation Day, is 6 p.m. at Echols Hall.

The Spartans won their third straight game, all on the road, with a 71-65 decision over Navy last Sunday. Pendarvis Williams led NSU in scoring for the third straight game, pouring in 20 points. Kyle O'Quinn added 17 points and 11 rebounds for NSU.

UMES is 3-11 and has lost three in a row following an 82-55 set-back at Lehigh on Tuesday.

MEDIA COVERAGE
Radio: WNSB 91.1 FM (Play-by-Play: Ross Gordon; Color: Joe Cook)
Live Audio: www.nsuspartans.com (Click “Live Audio” link under Inside Athletics tab)
Live Statistics: www.sidearmstats.com/nsu/mbball
Live Video: www.nsuspartans.com/showcase (requires subscription)

SERIES NOTES
NSU leads the series with UMES, 35-16. UMES won the only meeting last season, 88-84, in
Princess Anne, Md., on Feb. 5. The Hawks have won two of the last three meetings dating to 2008-09, but the Spartans have dominated the series since moving to Division I in 1997-98, winning 20 of the 25 meetings.

RECAPPING NAVY
Additional notes from NSU's win over Navy on Jan. 1:
• Kyle O'Quinn moved into 22nd place in school history in scoring. His 17 points give him 1,257 for his career, passing Morrell James' 1,250.
• Pendarvis Williams led NSU in scoring for the third straight game - all Spartan victories - and hit the 20-point mark for the third time this season, with exactly 20. His four 3-pointers tied his career high.
• The Spartans shot 51 percent, their third straight game making at least half their shots.
• Brandon Wheeless scored 12 points, matching his season high. He had 11 in the first half alone.
• NSU matched its season low with just 10 turnovers.

QUICK START
The Spartans' 10-5 start to the season is their best in the program's Division I history. More on the team's fast start:
• The last time NSU started a season with 10 wins in its first 15 games was in 1996-97, the Spartans' last year at the Division II level in the CIAA. That team began 13-5.
• NSU will be looking for a 3-0 start to MEAC play against UMES on Saturday. Its last 3-0 MEAC start game in 2007-08, Anthony Evans' first year as NSU head coach.
• The Spartans already have Division I wins over teams from six other conferences: CAA (Drexel), Mountain West (TCU), Mid-American (Toledo), Ohio Valley (Eastern Kentucky) and Patriot (Navy). NSU had never beaten teams from either the MAC, Patriot or Mountain West conferences prior to this season.
• NSU did not win its 10th game last year until March 3, but achieved the feat on Jan. 1 this year.
• The Spartans enter the weekend ranked 46th in the RPI. The next-highest MEAC team is Morgan State, at 170.