NORFOLK, Va. – Freshman forward Alex Long of the Norfolk State men's basketball team was honored on Monday afternoon when he was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week by the conference office.
 
In two games last week he tallied 17 points, 11 rebounds, two assists and two blocks, part of an overall team effort that led to victories over North Carolina A&T last Monday and then South Carolina State on Saturday.
 
In Saturday's contest at home, Long finished with 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting with six rebounds, two assists and two blocks as the Spartans took over second place in the league from the Bulldogs with an 87-74 win. Despite some early foul trouble, the native of Clinton, Md., also had seven points and five boards last Monday when the Spartans erased a 10-point halftime deficit to defeat A&T on the road, 75-68.
 
In his last five games, Long has averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 20-of-27 overall. He ranks 13^th in the league in blocks per game (0.8), and on the season he is averaging 4.8 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting nearly 43 percent from the field and 72 percent from the free throw line.
 
Currently second in the league standings at 5-1, NSU will return to the court tonight when the Spartans host Savannah State at 8 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.