NSU Men's BasketballGREENSBORO, N.C. - Norfolk State secured a solid win over North Carolina Central on Saturday, and the Spartan men's basketball team will look to make it a sweep of the North Carolina schools when they take on N.C. A&T on Monday afternoon. Tip-off from the Corbett Sports Center on Martin Luther King Jr. Day has been moved up to 4 p.m.
Media CoverageThe game will be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon on the call. Live audio is available through
www.star1310.com as well as
hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Star 1310 website or through
www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB") for Hot 91.1.
Fans can also follow along with A&T's
live video feed.
Series HistoryNorfolk State has won the last four meetings with the Aggies to pull ahead in the all-time series, 23-20, in one of NSU's closest rivalries in the league. The teams first met in 1962-63, and in the Division I era the Spartans own an 18-14 edge in the series. NSU won the last meeting in Greensboro, 72-65 during the 2011-12 season.
About North Carolina A&TThe Aggies have lost their last six games, including the last three in conference play, to fall to 5-14 overall and 2-3 in the MEAC. On Saturday at home, the Aggies fell to Hampton, 79-62. Sam Hunt led them with 16 points and ranks second on the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game thanks in part to 111 3-point attempts. Bruce Beckford leads the team with 15.1 points and 7.6 rebounds for a team that averages 66 points per game but also gives up 77. Joshea Singleton tallies 9.4 points, with Ahmad Abdullah contribing 8.6 with a team-best 2.4 assists. Teams shoot better than 45 percent and outrebound the Aggies by an average of more than four boards per game.
Last Time OutNSU used a 16-2 run early in the second half, part of a larger 26-9 spurt, to overcome a halftime deficit against North Carolina Central on the way to an 88-79 win over the Eagles on Saturday at NCCU's McDougald-McLendon Gym. NSU had five players in double figures for the first time in almost exactly two years, and the Spartans outscored the Eagles 52-41 in the second half for their first 50-point half of the season.
Charles Oliver led the way with 20 points, thanks in part to a 5-of-8 effort from beyond the arc. He helped NSU finish 11-of-24 from beyond the arc. The Spartans shot 25-of-47 overall (53.2 percent) and 27-of-33 from the free throw line (81.8 percent). The Eagles hit 39 percent from the floor and just 7-of-25 from 3-point range. They did, however, hold a 36-30 edge on the glass, including 16-4 on the offensive side that they only turned into an 11-8 advantage over the Spartans in second-chance points.
MEAC StandingsHampton currently leads the MEAC at 5-0 as the last undefeated team left in the league. South Carolina State sits in second at 4-1, while NSU owns sole possession of third place at 3-1. The Spartans have finished no worse than tied for third each of the last four years as well as fourth or better in eight of the last nine seasons.
Player TidbitsJeff Short • Needs 41 points to reach 1,000 for his NSU career; Attempting to become 35th all-time 1,000-point scorer at NSU and the seventh to do so in two years (Ralph Tally, David Pope, James Grant, Damian Woolfolk, Corey Williams, Marcus Whitfield)
 • Ranks 5th in the MEAC in scoring (16.4), free throw % (83.3) and 3-point field goal % (39.8) and 9th in 3-point field goals (2.1); Sits 96th in the nation in free throw % (83.3) and 161st in points per game (16.4)
 • Stands 81st in NCAA D-I in career scoring average (13.0) and 128th in points (1,141)
 • Ranks 8th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal percentage (.396), 11th in 3-point field goals (108) and 13th in 3-point field goal attempts (273)
 • Averaging 2.8 assists last 9 games and 5.1 rebounds last 8 games
 • Has made a 3-pointer in 10 straight games; Shooting 8-of-21 last 3 games
 • Has scored in double figures in nine straight games
D'Shon Taylor • Averaged 14.7 points and 6.0 rebounds while shooting 17-of-33 overall in 3 games from Jan. 5-11
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in free throw % (79.3) and 3-point field goal % (36.2), 13th in field goal % (44.7), 18th in rebounding (5.0) and 21st in scoring (11.6); Also sits 204th in the nation in free throw % (79.3)
 • Ranks 16th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal % (.357) and 18th in 3-point field goals (71) and 3-point field goal attempts (199)
Charles Oliver • 5th career 20-point game (all at NSU) with 20 at North Carolina Central; Hit 5-of-8 from 3-point range
 • 55-of-63 (87.3 %) in free throws over the last 14 games
 • Ranks 6th in the MEAC in free throw % (83.1), 10th in 3-point field goal % (36.2), 13th in 3-point field goals (1.8) and 17th in scoring (12.3); Sits 101st in the nation in free throw % (83.1)
Zaynah Robinson • 45-5 assist-turnover ratio last 16 games
 • Had career-high 8 assists with zero turnovers at North Carolina Central
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (40.8), 6th in steals (1.4) and 11th in assists (2.9); Stands 222nd in the nation in steals per game (1.42)
Jordan Butler • Averaging 7.0 points and 7.8 rebounds last 8 games
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in blocks (2.1), 7th in rebounding (6.8) and 8th in defensive rebounds (4.6) and offensive rebounds (2.2); Also stands 44th in the nation in blocks (2.05) and 231st in rebounds (6.8)
 • Ranks 13th in NSU career records in blocks (75)
Preston Bungei • 26-of-33 from the free throw line last 12 games
 • Career-high 4 assists at North Carolina Central; 4th 10-point game of season with 10
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)
Jonathan Wade • 5th double-digit scoring game of season with 12 at North Carolina Central
Alex Long • Averaging 12.0 points and 5.3 rebounds last 3 games while shooting 13-of-16 overall; 1st 3 career 10-point games
Good from the LineNSU, which ranked 282nd in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 77.7 percent this season, which currently ranks second in the nation. The Spartans are attempting to hit better than 70 percent this year for the first time since the 2003-04 season. The school record stands at 72.3 set in 1968-69. NSU has now hit 213-of-264 (80.7 percent) over the last 12 games. In addition, the Spartans have shot 94-of-114 (82.5 percent) in the last five minutes of its games this year.
Good From Long RangeSo far this year, Norfolk State is hitting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc with 137 total treys, a year after making 190 for the second-most ever in a season in program history. NSU's current clip from long range ranks 63rd in the nation. The school's Division I record stands at 35.7 percent set in 1998-99.
NSU 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 and at North Carolina Central, tied for the sixth-most in a game in school history.
Nice ShootingOver the last four games, NSU is shooting 46.2 percent from the floor (96-of-208).
Better in the 2ndNSU has scored more points in the second half than the first in 15 of 19 games this season. The Spartans are averaging 39.2 points after halftime but just 31.2 before the intermission. On the year, the Spartans are shooting 40.1 from 3-point range in the second but 34.1 in the first half, and NSU has also shot 219-of-272 (80.5 percent) from the free throw line after intermission but just 119-of-163 (73.0 percent) beforehand. The Spartans also have a -1.7 rebound margin in the first half and a +1.8 margin in the second half.
MEAC RankingsThe Spartans continue to lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage (37.3), with the second highest team at 35.0. NSU also ranks first in free throw percentage (77.7), second in 3-pointers per game (7.2), opponent rebounding (34.3), blocks (4.3) and assist-turnover ratio (0.9) and third in field goal percentage defense (43.5) and rebounding margin (+0.1).
Limit Those GiveawaysThe Spartans on the season are averaging 12.7 turnovers per contest. The school record for fewest giveaways per game is 13.1 set in 1987-88. NSU has committed just 11.1 turnovers the last seven games. On the flip side, NSU is averaging 15.3 points off turnovers the last four games.
Block PartyNSU ranks 89th in the nation with 4.3 blocks per game. The top 4 seasons in NSU history in terms of total blocks have all come within the last five years. The Spartans have averaged 161.0 blocks per season over those last five years and currently have 82 for this season.
Good from 3Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 200 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.
O'Quinn's NBA SeasonFormer Spartan Kyle O'Quinn begins his fourth year in the NBA this season and his first with the New York Knicks after signing a four-year, $16 million contract. NSU's first NBA player in 25 years after getting drafted in the second round in 2012, O'Quinn is currently averaging 4.8 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game for New York after three years with the Orlando Magic.
