NSU Men's Basketball
Monday, November 30, 8:30 p.m. EST
NSU at Northern Arizona, Walkup Skydome
Watch Live | Live Stats | Game Notes

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. - After returning from the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Paradise Jam, the Norfolk State men's basketball team will take another long trip after several days off. The Spartans head to Northern Arizona for a Monday evening matchup to complete a home-and-home series that began last year at NSU.

Tip-off against the Lumberjacks from the Walkup Skydome is set for 8:30 p.m. EST.

Media Coverage
The game will be streamed live through www.WatchBigSky.com. Fans can also follow along with the live stats here.

Series History
This will mark just the second ever meeting between the two schools after last year's Spartan victory at Joseph Echols Hall. NSU's 81-62 victory was highlighted by 25 points from Jeff Short and 20 points and 11 rebounds from RaShid Gaston.

About Northern Arizona
Like the Spartans, the Lumberjacks are still searching for their first Division I win of the year. They stand 2-3 overall after recent wins over Embry-Riddle and San Diego Christian. They opened the season with losses to Washington State, Boise State and Gonzaga, and have been led by four different players averaging in double figures but less than 13 points per game. Kris Yanku (12.6), Jaleni Neely (12.4), Ako Kaluna (12.2) and Torry Johnson (10.3) share the offensive load, with Kaluna averaging a team-best 7.2 rebounds and Yanku a team-leading 5.8 assists. NAU's biggest advantage comes in its defense, where it averages nearly eight steals on the opposition's 14.0 turnovers per game. Led in part by Johnson on the inside and Neely on the outside, the Lumberjacks shoot 43 percent overall and 35 percent from 3-point range.

Last Time Out
The Spartans hit a school record 14 3-pointers, including nine in a row and 10 overall in the second half, but ultimately DePaul was able to hold on for an 82-78 victory over NSU last Monday during the final day of the 2015 Paradise Jam. Down by 14 in the second half, NSU began to heat up, using an 18-4 run in just three and a half minutes to tie the game. Jeff Short made two free throws with 2:22 left to give NSU a two-point lead, but DePaul took the lead back and blocked a last-possession shot by the Spartans to secure the win. Charles Oliver added 20 points and hit 6-of-9 from long range, while D'Shon Taylor added game highs of 23 points and nine rebounds with a career-best five assists. Taylor hit 5-of-7 from 3-point range, while Jeff Short added 16 points and hit 3-of-5 from long range. NSU also had just six turnovers, tied for the fewest in a game over the last two seasons.

3rd Option
Looking for a third scorer to complement returning players Jeff Short and D'Shon Taylor, NSU has found that option with redshirt senior Charles Oliver. The transfer from Robert Morris posted a career-high 21 points at South Carolina, hitting a then personal-best 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He shot 6-of-9 from 3-point range against DePaul and finished with 20 points, the second 20-point scoring game of his career.

Good Shootin'
Norfolk State made a school record 14 3-pointers against DePaul, breaking the previous best of 13 set against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 24, 2007. NSU also made 11 3-pointers at South Carolina, tied for the sixth-most in a game in school history. NSU's 28 attempts against both DePaul and South Carolina are tied for the fourth-most in a game. Over the last two games against DePaul and Ohio, NSU is 22-of-44 (50.0 percent) from 3-point land.

So far this year, NSU is hitting 41.4 percent (41-of-99), a year after making 190 treys for the second-most ever in a season in the Spartans' history. The Spartans are also shooting better from 3-point range (41.4) than from inside the arc (37.7 percent, 72-of-191).

Better in the 2nd
NSU has scored more points in the second half than the first in all five games this season. On the year, the Spartans are are shooting 44.9 percent overall in the second half but just 33.6 percent in the first half, including 54.0 from 3-point range in the second but 28.6 in the first. The Spartans are thus averaging 40.8 points after halftime but just 30.6 before the intermission. NSU also has a +1.4 rebounding margin in the second half but a -2.8 margin in the first.

So Far So Good
NSU, which ranked 282nd in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 73.8 percent this season. The Spartans are attempting to hit better than 70 percent this year for the first time since the 2003-04 season.

Get Used to This
The Nov. 17 game against Washington Adventist and Wednesday's contest against Mercy College mark the only two home contests for the Spartans in the early part of the year. NSU will play 13 of the season's first 15 games on the road.

Good from 3
Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 186 straight games, dating back to a contest at South Carolina State on Jan. 25, 2010, when NSU finished 0-of-17 from 3-point range.