Norfolk State Men's Basketball
Saturday, Nov. 22; 5 p.m.
NSU vs. Texas Southern, Joseph Echols Hall
Live Video | Live Stats | Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - The Norfolk State men's basketball team will play its last home game for two weeks and wrap up a home-and-home series when the Spartans take on Texas Southern on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.

Prior to the game, NSU will hold its very first Spartan Basketball Fan Fest outside the arena from 2-4:30 p.m., with music, games, vendors and food all available, weather permitting.

Media Coverage
Fans can follow all of the action with the live stats and the live video feed. There will be no radio broadcast for the contest due to the NSU football game at South Carolina State.

Series History
This will be the second-ever meeting between the two teams after Texas Southern won last year's season opener, 95-83. In that contest, Aaric Murray tallied 33 points, and Jose Rodriguez added 25 as TSU shot better than 58 percent for the game. NSU's Malcolm Hawkins scored 31 points, and Riley Maye posted 15.

About Texas Southern
The Tigers have opened up the year 0-3 with losses on the road to Eastern Washington, Indiana and Tennessee, the latter a 70-58 loss on Thursday night. Tonnie Collier leads all scorers with 15.3 points per game, followed by Deverell Biggs (13.3) and Chris Thomas (12.3). David Blanks, at 8.3 points, and Nevin Johnson, at 6.0, are TSU's only other consistent scorers, as the Tigers have only used nine players so far this season. Texas Southern has shot just 36.7 percent overall and 26.2 percent from beyond the arc, while opponents are connecting on 50 percent from the field and 49.2 percent overall. TSU has been outblocked 24-8 in the first three games.

Last Time Out
A 21-4 run to start the second half gave Boston University a 17-point lead, and despite getting as close as four, Norfolk State was unable to complete the comeback in a 71-63 loss to the Terriers on Wednesday night at Echols Hall. The Spartans got career nights from Jeff Short and Malik Thomas, as they combined for 47 of the team's 63 points. Short scored a career-high 28, while Thomas had career bests with both 19 points and 12 rebounds. BU hit 21-of-42 (50 percent) for the game while holding NSU to 20-of-52 shooting (38.5 percent).

Specialty Stats
So far this season, NSU is outscoring opponents by an average of 20.7-11.7 in points off turnovers and 12.0-7.3 in second-chance points.

After setting the Division I record in 2013-14 for fewest turnovers per game at 13.4, NSU is currently averaging 12.3 giveaways per contest this season. The Spartans also finished with their best free throw percentage in 10 years last year at 69.3, the best mark since the 2003-04 campaign (72.0 percent). So far in 2014-15, NSU is connecting on 75.0 percent of its attempts from the charity stripe.

Tough Loss
In the 67-39 loss to Virginia on Nov. 16, NSU scored its fewest points and had its worst shooting percentage (23.5 percent) in three years since a 68-36 setback to Illinois State on Dec. 18, 2011. In that game, NSU connected on just 10-of-46 (21.7 percent). The Spartans suffered their worst loss since a 100-72 defeat at the hands of Iona on Dec. 23, 2012.

The Spartans also connected on 5-of-28 (17.9 percent) and scored 17 points in the second half against the Cavaliers, the first time scoring less than 20 points and shooting less than 20 percent in a half since taking UVa. on March 19, 2013 (16 points, 5-of-27 for 18.5 percent in the second half then).

Big Win
NSU's 81-43, 38-point margin of victory against Pfeiffer on Nov. 14 was the largest in the program's Division I era and the largest since a 115-65 win over Knoxville College on Jan. 29, 1996. It also marked the fewest points given up since defeating Randolph College 63-43 on Nov. 16, 2011. An opponent has not scored less than 43 against NSU since January of 1987. Also, the team's 26 3-point field goal attempts against Pfeiffer were also the most since taking 29 shots from long range at Iona on Dec. 23, 2012.

Snake Bitten
RaShid Gaston missed 13 games in the middle of the season last year due to an ACL sprain and then an ankle sprain. Finally at full strength heading into this season, the Spartan coaches were counting on the bruising forward to turn into the first-team all-conference caliber player he is capable of. Gaston, though, has sat out the last two games with a bruised knee (opposite knee of the ACL sprain) suffered in the win over Pfeiffer.

Ahead at the Half
The Spartans are 54-8 since the start of the 2011-12 season when leading or tied at the half.

Banner Named MEAC Rookie of the Week
Devonte Banner earned the conference's first Rookie of the Week award on Nov. 17 after starting the first game of the season in place of injured senior Jamel Fuentes. On the week, Banner finished with 12 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals while shooting 4-of-8 overall and 2-of-4 from 3-point range.