Thursday
NSU vs. Savannah State, MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals
8 p.m., Norfolk Scope
Radio: Star 1310 AM | Listen
Live Video | Live Stats | Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - The No. 4 seed Norfolk State men's basketball team will take on No. 5 seed Savannah State on Thursday night at the Norfolk Scope in the quarterfinal round of the MEAC tournament. The second meeting between the two teams this season begins at 8 p.m.

This will mark the first time the two squads have met in the postseason.

Radio Advisory
Due to issues with its signal tower, NSU's campus radio station Hot 91.1 FM is currently off the air and thus unable to broadcast Spartan basketball. The game against Savannah State will be broadcast on Star 1310 AM-WGH. Fans can listen to the contest as well via www.star1310.com or www.espnradio941.com and through the ESPN Radio 94.1 mobile app.

Series History
NSU carries a 5-3 overall record against Savannah State and has won all five meetings against the Tigers during the Division I era. Savannah State won three straight over NSU in three straight years from 1958-61. Earlier this year, the Spartans won their second game in two years on the road against the Tigers, 56-49 on ESPNU.

About Savannah State
The Tigers overcame a slow start to knock off No. 12 seed South Carolina State, 61-47, on Monday. SSU (13-18) likes to play at a slow pace, evidenced by their ability to hit 42.0 percent shooting from the floor but score just 62 points a game while allowing 64.5. Deven Williams is the only player in double figures at 10.2 points, while Joshua Montgomery (8.7 points) and Jyles Smith (8.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.1 blocks) also add to the scoring effort. The Tigers turn the ball over nearly 16 times a game, but they also block five shots a game and average a little more than seven steals.

Last Time Out
NSU had a 23-point lead in the second half against UMES on Monday in the tournament's first round, but the Hawks eventually tied it up twice in the latter stages of the game. The Spartans hit several free throws late in the contest, and the Hawks turned it over twice in the last minute without getting a shot off to seal the Spartan win. Pendarvis Williams added 22 points, seven boards, three assists and three steals, while Malcolm Hawkins and RaShid Gaston each posted 17 points. NSU hit 24-of-44 (54.5 percent for the game), the best percentage since hitting 59.3 percent in a loss against Mount St. Mary's. UMES knocked down exactly 50 percent (22-of-44), including 16-of-26 in the second half.

Player Tidbits
Pendarvis Williams
 • All-MEAC second team
 • NABC All-District 15 first team
 • 18.7 points, 18-of-31 field goals, 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals last three games
 • 5.6 rebounds last seven games
 • 37-of-44 free throws last 10 games
 • Fourth different NSU player to reach 1,600 points since 2008
 • Needs two more points to pass Kyle O'Quinn for No. 16 on the all-time scoring list at NSU
 • Fifth in the MEAC in minutes played (34.3) and free throw percentage (82.3), seventh in steals (1.5), eighth in scoring (15.8), 10th in defensive rebounds (4.0) and field goal percentage (49.3)
 • Shooting 49.3 percent from the floor this year, including 62.3 percent (114-of-183) from inside the arc
 • One of two all-time NSU players with 1,500 points, 500 rebounds, 200 assists, 100 steals and 50 blocks along with Ralph Tally
 • 82.3 percent from the free throw line this season; chasing Division I record of 83.3 percent set by Ryan Grier in 2003-04
 • Second all-time at NSU in career 3-pointers (212)
 • Eighth 20-point game of season, and 20th of career, with 22-point effort against UMES on March 10

RaShid Gaston
 • 12.0 points, 9-of-15 field goals, 6-of-9 free throws, 8.5 rebounds last two games

Kievyn Lila-St. Rose
 • 9-of-17 field goals in four games from Feb. 22-March 3

Malcolm Hawkins
 • All-MEAC second team
 • 21.3 points, 19-of-39 field goals, 13-of-23 3-pointers, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists last three games
 • Set NSU record with eight 3-pointers against NCCU on March 6
 • Also tied career high with 31 points and set career high with five assists
 • Career-high nine rebounds against UMES on March 3
 • Missed four games due to injury from Feb. 1-15
 • Shooting 43.0 percent from 3-point range, which ranks third in Division I season records
 • First in the MEAC in 3-point shooting percentage (43.0), seventh in scoring (16.4) and eighth in 3-point field goals (2.1)
 • Has scored in double figures in all but one full game he has played (at Howard; only played the second half at Delaware State)

Brandon Goode
 • All-MEAC third team
 • Has scored in double figures in 20 of last 27 games
 • Seven field goals short of qualifying for the NCAA stats in field goal percentage; 60.3 percent clip would rank ninth in the country
 • Ranks third in both Division I and all-time single-season records with 71 blocks
 • Second all-time at NSU with 151 career blocks behind precedssor Kyle O'Quinn
 • Second in the MEAC in field goal percentage at 61.0, fifth in blocks (2.3) and offensive rebounds (2.6), sixth in rebounding (6.9) and seventh in defensive rebounds (4.3)
 • 61.0 percent shooting currently ranks eighth all-time at NSU in season records and third in Division I era

Jamel Fuentes
 • Fifth all-time at NSU in assists with 408
 • Sits second in Division I records with 157 assists this year; Needs nine more to pass predecessor Aleek Pauline
 • First in the MEAC in assist-turnover ratio (2.6) and second in assists (5.1)
 • 28th in the NCAA in career assist-turnover ratio (1.91)

Marese Phelps
 • 3.2 assists last 12 games; 2.9 rebounds last 11 games; 4.7 points last 3 games
 • Ninth in the MEAC in steals at 1.3

Anell Alexis
 • 8.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 15-of-18 free throws in four games Feb. 24-March 6

NSU Garners All-MEAC Honors
Three Spartan seniors were named All-MEAC when the conference announced its postseason honors on March 10. Guards Pendarvis Williams and Malcolm Hawkins earned second-team honors, and center Brandon Goode was tabbed to the third team. It marks the second straight year, and the second time ever, NSU had three all-conference honors. It is also the first time NSU had three all-conference honors that did not involve the all-rookie team (See Page 9).

Only once in 16 years in the MEAC (not counting the 1997-98 transitional year) has NSU not had an all-conference honoree (2002-03). This year also marks the first time in seven years the program did not get someone on the all-MEAC first team.

Williams Named to NABC All-District Team
Pendarvis Williams was named to the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) All-District 15 first team on March 12. He was one of 10 players named all-district 15, which is comprised of players from the MEAC.

NSU in the Tourney
The Spartans own a 15-12 all-time record in the MEAC tournament. Only one time has NSU not made it to the quarterfinal round, that coming in 2002.

Winning Record
NSU is guaranteed to have a winning record this year for the third year in a row. Prior to the start of that streak in 2011-12, NSU had a winning record just twice in 14 seasons since moving to Division I in 1997-98. Only three MEAC teams currently have winning records: NSU, NC Central (25-5) and Hampton (18-11).

With 18 wins so far in his debut season, Robert Jones has more overall wins than any of the four previous NSU head coaches had in their first seasons. His 11 MEAC wins is also tied with Mel Coleman, Wil Jones and Anthony Evans, although Coleman and Wil Jones did so in 18 games while Evans and Robert Jones coached in 16 MEAC games. NSU's 18 wins are also the third most in the D-I era behind the 26 wins in 2011-12 and the 21 in 2012-13.

Get on the Glass
NSU has been even or had the edge in the rebounding column in nine straight and 13 of the last 16 games. In the last six games, NSU has outrebounded its opponents by a combined 51 boards.

Better as They Go
Opponents are scoring on average 7.3 more points in the second half than the first. NSU is averaging 4.2. Only seven times this year has NSU scored more points in the first half than the second. Opponents have done it just five times.

Hit Your Free Throws
The Spartans have hit 55-of-71 (77.5 percent) from the charity stripe in the last three games after hitting below their season average in 10 of the previous 11 games. They sank 25 against UMES on March 10, the most since breaking the school record with 41 against Florida A&M earlier in the year.

Limit Your Mistakes
NSU is currently averaging just 13.5 turnovers per game. Should that hold up, it would mark just the fourth time NSU had fewer than 14 turnovers a game since the stat was first kept in 1978-79. The program record is 13.1 per game in 1987-88. NSU also had less than 14 turnovers per game in 1995-96 (13.4) and 1989-90 (13.9).

Share the Ball
NSU is also averaging 14.0 assists per game this year, the most in the Division I era and the most since averaging 14.2 in 1995-96. The team's total of 435 assists this year also ranks as the D-I era record and is the most since 1994-95 (510).

MEAC Rankings
NSU ranks first in the MEAC in field goal percentage (46.8), rebounding margin (+3.3), opponent rebounding (32.2) and offensive rebound percentage (37.7). The Spartans also stand second in scoring offense (73.3), 3-point field goal percentage (34.9), assists (14.0) and assist-turnover ratio (1.0) and third in scoring margin (+1.5) and defensive rebound percentage (66.8).

Senior Leadership
NSU has scored 2,275 points this year, with 1,807 of those points (79.4 percent) coming from NSU's senior class.

Dominating the Inside
Norfolk State has outscored opponents 1,004-805 in points in the paint, an average of 6.4 points per game. Against Coppin State on Jan. 20, the Spartans had a 46-16 edge, while NSU has also outscored East Carolina (50-16) and Stillman (62-26) by large margins. On the flip side, opponents have taken 163 more 3-pointers than NSU this year (5.3 per game).

Good Shootin'
As a team, the Spartans are shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 34.9 percent from 3-point range this year, the best marks in a season since 1998-99 (48.1 percent) and 1998-99 (35.7 percent), respectively. They are also hitting 51.6 percent from inside the arc.

The Spartans have hit at least 50 percent in 10 games.

Free Throwing
As a team, the Spartans are connecting on 69.8 percent from the foul line this year. They are also battling history, as only once in the previous 30 years has NSU hit better than 70 percent from the free throw line in a season (72.0 percent, 2003-04). NSU's current 69.8 percent clip stands as the best mark in a season since that 2003-04 campaign.

Scoring Offense
NSU's is scoring 73.3 points per game this year, the highest scoring season since averaging 73.3 per game in 2000-2001, and 7.0 points more per game than last year (66.3).

O'Quinn's NBA Season
Kyle O'Quinn is back for his second season with the Orlando Magic after being drafted in the second round in 2012. NSU's first NBA player in 25 years, O'Quinn averaged 4.1 points and 3.7 rebounds per game during his rookie campaign in 2012-13. So far this year he's posted 5.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks. He's averaged 8.7 points and 7.1 rebounds his last 10 games.