Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - Winners of three straight games, the Spartan men's basketball team (21-9 overall, 12-3 MEAC) concludes its 2011-12 regular season Thursday night with a contest at North Carolina A&T (12-18, 7-8). Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. at Corbett Sports Center in Greensboro, N.C.

NSU wrapped up a first-round MEAC Tournament bye by sweeping the conference's two Florida schools, winning 75-72 at Bethune-Cookman last Saturday and 79-70 at Florida A&M on Monday. Monday's win was NSU's school-record 12th MEAC victory of the season, topping the 2004-05 and 2007-08 teams which both had 11.

NSU still has a chance to tie for the conference regular-season title, but needs to win Thursday and for first-place Savannah State to lose at UMES.

The Aggies have lost three of four after a 62-50 defeat at Savannah State on Monday.

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)

SERIES NOTES
NSU leads the series with the Aggies, 20-19. NSU won the last matchup between the teams, 75-57, on March 3, 2011 at Echols Hall. The teams split the regular-season series last season, with A&T taking the first game, 89-81, in overtime on Dec. 4, 2010 in Greensboro. The two schools have split the season series each of the last four years.

RECAPPING FAMU
Additional notes from NSU's win over Florida A&M on Monday:
• #A.J. Rogers# scored a career-high 13 points off the bench, one of four Spartans in double figures.
• Kyle O'Quinn recorded his MEAC-leading 18th double-double of the year.
• NSU committed just 12 turnovers, its fourth straight game with 12 or fewer.
• The Spartans shot 86.7 percent from the free-throw line (13-of-15), a season best.

DOWN THE STRETCH THEY COME
The MEAC regular-season championship will come down to the final night of competition. NSU can finish anywhere from the No. 1 seed to No. 3 depending on Thursday's outcomes.

Savannah State (13-2 MEAC) is in first place, one game ahead of NSU (12-3). If SSU loses at UMES and NSU beats A&T, the Spartans and SSU will tie for the regular-season conference title - which would be NSU's first in the MEAC - and NSU would get the tournament's No.1 seed based on its head-to-head win over the Tigers. The regular-season champion also receives an automatic NIT bid if it does not win the MEAC Tournament title.

However, an NSU loss and a Delaware State (11-4 MEAC) win over S.C. State would forge a tie for second place, and DSU would get the No. 2 seed over NSU because it swept the season series.

Regardless, NSU has locked up one of the three first-round MEAC tourney byes. If NSU wins Thursday against the Aggies, regardless of SSU's outcome at UMES, the Spartans will play in the tournament quarterfinals next Wednesday. The top two seeds play their first tournament games next Wednesday, and if they win, would receive Thursday off before semifinal play on Friday. The No. 3 seed opens play next Thursday and would need wins on three straight days to capture the title.

O'QUINN A FINALIST FOR LOU HENSON AWARD
Center Kyle O'Quinn was recently named one of 25 finalists for the Lou Henson Award, given annually to the top “mid-major” Division I basketball player. This year, online fan voting will count for one-third of the final tally. Fans can vote online at www.votelouhenson.com until March 12.

LAST MEETING VS. A&T
#Kyle O'Quinn# had 18 points, 14 rebounds and five blocked shots to leads NSU to a 75-57 win over N.C. A&T on March 3, 2011 at Echols Hall in the teams' last meeting. The Spartans held A&T to just 28 percent shooting from the floor and 22 percent shooting (5-of-21) from 3-point range. NSU also outrebounded the Aggies 50-36.

NSU also got 14 points each from Rob Hampton and Pendarvis Williams, and Chris McEachin added 11 points. Thomas Coleman paced A&T with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

WILLIAMS BACK WITH A VENGEANCE 
Guard Pendarvis Williams has looked none the worse for wear since missing the Longwood game (Feb. 20) due to illness. In his first game back, he broke into double digits for the first time in a five-game stretch by pouring in 22 points at Bethune-Cookman. He followed that up with 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals at FAMU.