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NORFOLK, Va. - The Spartan women's basketball team (2-6) plays its final game before taking a week off for the Christmas holiday as it faces East Carolina (8-2) on Saturday in Greenville, N.C. The game tips off at 5 p.m. at Minges Coliseum. The Spartans enter the game off a tough two-point loss to Marshall of Conference USA on Tuesday in Norfolk. NSU has split its last four games.

Last Time Out
Chukwuka Ezeigbo scored the winning field goal on a layup with 1.4 seconds left, spoiling a career night from Norfolk State's Rae Corbo, in Marshall's 73-71 win over the Spartans on Tuesday night at Echols Hall. Corbo scored an NSU Division I-era record 37 points, easily her career high, to lead a game effort by the Spartans (2-6). Her two free throws with 25 seconds left tied the game for the ninth and final time at 71-71.

Marshall (6-2) got the ball in the hands of its leading scorer, wing player Leah Scott. Her contested shot in the lane missed, but Ezeigbo corralled the rebound on the right side of the basket and laid it back in with 1.4 seconds left to give the Thundering Herd the lead.

NSU called its final timeout and had to go the length of the floor to try and tie or win it. But the Spartans were unable to get off a shot after an inbounds pass deep in the backcourt, and Marshall held on.

Kayla Roberts had 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Nia Roberts added seven points and eight boards for NSU.
 
About ECU
The Pirates, first-year members of the American Athletic Conference, are 8-2 on the year and have won two straight after an 82-33 win at Loyola (Md.) on Dec. 9. Jada Payne had 24 points to lead four ECU players in double figures in that contest, helping her earn AAC Player of the Week honors. Ondrea Shaw blocked 10 of ECU's single-game school-record tying 15 shots.

Payne, a preseason All-AAC second-team selection, leads the Pirates with 18.7 points per game. She also averages 6.3 rebounds per game and shoots 54 percent from 3-point range.

I'Tiana Taylor averages 11.8 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Five ECU players average at least eight points per game. The Pirates were picked to finish third in the preseason AAC poll.
 
All-Time Series vs. ECU
ECU owns a 3-1 series lead over Norfolk State. The teams met last year in Norfolk, with the Pirates winning 81-61 on Dec. 17 at Echols Hall. Payne had 26 points
and Abria Trice 19 for ECU that night, while Rachel Gordon had 17 points, Logan Powell 13 and Rae Corbo 11 points and five assists for the Spartans. ECU shot 49 percent from the floor and forced the Spartans into committing 24 turnovers.

Corbo Sets D-I Era Scoring Record
Rae Corbo set NSU's Division I-era single-game scoring record by pouring in 37 points on Tuesday against Marshall. Corbo was 13-of-22 from the floor, 5-of-10 from 3-point range, and 6-of-7 from the free throw line to top her previous career-high game by 11 points. More on Corbo's night:
• The 37 points are the most by an NSU player since LaTina Bullock had 39 against St. Augustine's on Feb. 27, 1996, NSU's next-to-last season in Division II.
• The 37 points are the most by a MEAC player this year through games of Dec. 18.
• The 37 points are the sixth-most in a game in school history (for both Division I and II combined).
• The previous D-I record was 36 points, set by guard Raychele Payne against South Carolina State on Feb. 21, 2009.
• Corbo's previous career high of 26 points was set during her sophomore year of 2010-11, against Texas Southern on Nov. 11, 2011.

Nia Roberts Makes Strong Debut
Tuesday marked the NSU debut of sophomore forward Nia Roberts. Nia, the older sister of Spartan freshman Kayla Roberts, was a three-time All-Dade County pick at Miami Norland High who played in three games at Buffalo before transferring at mid-year last season. The 6-0 Nia Roberts didn't disappoint in her first game as a Spartan, tallying seven points, eight rebounds and two assists in 29 minutes off the Spartans' bench.