Battle of the Bay

NSU at Hampton	Saturday, Jan. 30	6 p.m.	HU Convocation Center
Radio: Star 1310 AM | Live Audio; Hot 91.1 FM | Live Audio	Live Video	Live Stats	Game Notes

NORFOLK, Va. - It will be the Battle of the Bay and the battle for first place in the MEAC on Saturday when the Norfolk State men's basketball team heads to Hampton. Tip-off from the HU Convocation Center will be at 6 p.m. or 30 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game.
 
The Spartans, winners of five of their past six, currently sit at 6-1 in the conference, with Hampton a half game ahead at 7-1. The winner will have sole possession of first place, while the loser will fall back into a mix with Howard and South Carolina State for the next three spots in the standings.
 
Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Aaron Clark 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 Hampton's live stats and the school's live video feed.
 
Series History
NSU has played Hampton more than any other school over the years, with the Spartans holding an 83-44 lead in the all-time series. Norfolk State swept last year's regular season meetings before the Pirates knocked the Spartans out of the MEAC tournament with a 75-64 win in the semifinals. For eight years in a row, one program or the other has swept each of the two regular season matchups. Not since 2006-07 have the teams split. The Spartans have had the upper hand in five of those eight season sweeps.
 
About Hampton
First place is on the line on Saturday only because Hampton lost to South Carolina State last Monday to fall to 7-1 in the league and 11-8 overall, the only team in the conference above .500 overall. Only three players average at least 7 points per game for a Hampton squad that tallies 73 as a team. Quinton Chievous leads the way with 17.2 points and 10.5 rebounds, while Reginald Johnson also averages 17.2 points to go with 3.6 assists. Brian Darden (14.5 points) is the third part of the three-headed monster, although Hampton does not shoot particularly well in any of the three facets (40.9 percent overall, 31 percent from 3-point range, 61.5 percent from the charity stripe). The Pirates do make a killing on the boards, leading the league in rebounding (41.6) and rebounding margin (+3.7), while giving the ball up more than 14 times per game and allowing teams to score almost 76 points per game.
 
Last Time Out
NSU tied the school record for 3-pointers for the second straight game and scored more than 50 in the second half on the way to a 92-73 win over Savannah State on Monday night at Joseph Echols Hall. NSU hit 14 treys, tying the mark originally set earlier this year against DePaul and then tied last Saturday as well against South Carolina State. The Spartans shot 14-of-30 from 3-point range, with Charles Oliver hitting 6-of-8 for a game-high 25 points. D'Shon Taylor and Jonathan Wade combined to shoot 10-of-14 overall as they each scored 14 points. Jeff Short also reached double figures with 13. NSU shot 24-of-51 (47.1 percent) overall as well as 30-of-35 from the free throw line. The Spartans also had a season-high nine blocks and held the rebounding edge, 35-29.
 
MEAC Standings
Hampton (7-1) and NSU (6-1) currently sit 1-2 in the standings, with Howard (4-1) and South Carolina State (6-2) at third and fourth, respectively. They are the only four teams in the league above .500 and the only ones with less than three losses. In fact, Coppin State, at 3-3, is the only other school with less than four on the season.
 
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.
 
Good from the Line
NSU, which ranked 282nd in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 78.5 percent this season, which currently ranks the Spartans No. 1 in the nation ahead of St. Bonaventure (77.6). NSU is 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 hit 134-of-164 (81.7 percent) over the last six games, including a season-high 30 makes against Savannah State, one of just five times in the Division I era the Spartans reached that mark. In addition, they have shot 108-of-131 (82.4 percent) in the last five minutes of their games this year.
 
Good From Long Range
So far this year, Norfolk State is hitting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc with 172 total treys. NSU's current clip from long range ranks 39th in the nation. NSU is chasing the school's Division I record of 35.7 percent set in 1998-99 and its overall record of 198 total 3-pointers set in 2011-12. NSU is also currently 98th in the nation in 3-pointers per game (7.8).
 
NSU first broke the school record with 14 3-pointers against DePaul, topping the previous best of 13 set against North Carolina A&T on Feb. 24, 2007. The Spartans then tied that record with 14 in its most recent games against both South Carolina State and Savannah State. They also had 32 attempts against S.C. State, tying the school mark set against Coppin State on Jan. 30, 2012.
 
Player Tidbits
Jeff Short
• Needs 19 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)
• Reached the 1,000-point plateau (combined NSU and Fordham) with his 22-point outing at Evansville
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (38.9) and free throw % (83.3), 7th in scoring (15.9) and 10th in 3-point field goals (2.1); Sits 96th in the nation in free throw % (83.3) and 202nd in points per game (15.9)
 • Stands 92nd in NCAA D-I in career scoring average (12.9) and 133rd in points (1,163)
• Ranks 2nd in NSU career records in free throw % (.825), 8th in 3-point field goal percentage (.392), 11th in 3-point field goals (113) and 12th in 3-point field goal attempts (288)
• His 83.3 % average from the free throw line is currently tied for the best ever in a season in NSU's D-I history
• Averaging 2.5 assists last 11 games
• Has made a 3-pointer in 12 straight games
 
D'Shon Taylor
• Has scored in double figures in 6 of the last 7 games and averaging 13.3 points last 3 games while shooting 12-of-23 overall and 6-of-14 from 3-point range
• Ranks 6th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (37.5), 8th in field goal % (45.6), 9th free throw % (80.0) and 21st in scoring (11.9); Also sits 174th in the nation in free throw % (80.0)
• Ranks 12th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal % (.362), 17th in 3-point field goal attempts (213) and 18th in 3-point field goals (77)
• His 80.0 % average from the free throw line currently ranks 9th in NSU's D-I season record book
 
Charles Oliver
• Averaging 21.0 points last 4 games while shooting 26-49 overall and 20-37 from 3-point range
• Tallied career high 25 points against Savannah State; 7th career 20-point game (all at NSU)
• Tied career high each of the past two games with 6 3-pointers
• Averaging 17.0 points in league play
• Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (39.8), 7th in free throw % (80.9) and 3-point field goals (2.2) and 12th in scoring (13.5); Sits 155th in the nation in free throw % (80.9) and 209th in 3-pointers per game (2.23)
• Stands 8th in NSU D-I season records for free throw % (80.9) and 15th in 3-point field goals (49)
 
Zaynah Robinson
• 53-8 assist-turnover ratio last 19 games
• Has a 4.57 assist-turnover ratio for the season; Would rank 6th in the nation but is just short of the 3.0 assists-per-game qualifying mark
• Averaging 9.0 points and 4.0 assists last 4 games; Tied career high with 13 points against South Carolina State, his 3rd double-digit scoring effort of the season
• Has tallied 16 steals in his last 7 games
• Has made a 3-pointer in 10 of the last 12 games; Has hit 21 of his last 22 free throw attempts
• Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (41.1), 5th in steals (1.5) and 11th in assists (2.9); Stands 155th in the nation in steals per game (1.55)
 
Jordan Butler
• Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in blocks (1.9), 8th in defensive rebounds (4.5), 10th in rebounding (6.5) and 15th in offensive rebounds (2.0); Also stands 51st in the nation in blocks (1.91)
• Ranks 11th in NSU career records in blocks (78)
• Also stands 8th in NSU D-I season records for blocks (42)
 
Preston Bungei
• Averaging 10.0 points on 10-of-18 shooting with 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists last 4 games
• Averaging 8.0 points in league play
• Ranks 9th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)
• Has made 14 of his last 16 free throw attempts
 
Jonathan Wade
• Averaging 11.2 points on 16-of-28 field goals and 6-of-9 3-pointers last 4 games; Reached double figures each of those 4 games and has 8 double-figure scoring games on the season
• Averaging 9.0 points in league play
• Tied his career high with 14 points against Savannah State
 
Alex Long
• Averaging 9.8 points on 21-of-32 shooting and 6.0 rebounds last 6 games
• Had career highs of 9 rebounds, 4 blocks and 3 steals against Savannah State
• Averaging 8.7 points and 5.9 rebounds in league play
• Ranks 11th in the MEAC in blocks (0.9)
• Has hit 19 of his last 20 free throw attempts
 
Share the Ball
In the last four games, NSU has had 20 double-digit scoring efforts, including five in contests at North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central and six against South Carolina State. It marked the first time NSU had six double digits scorers since Dec. 5, 2013 against Florida A&M, and it is believed to be the first time in the Division I era the Spartans had five players score 10 or more points in back-to-back games.
 
NSU is averaging 43.3 points off the bench during the last four games.
 
Hello There
NSU has used nine different starting lineups this year. The most that one starting lineup has been together this year is five games, accomplished with two different lineups.
 
Nice Shooting
Over the last seven games, NSU is shooting 46.9 percent from the floor (176-of-375). In just the last four contests, the Spartans have connected on 46-of-108 (42.6 percent) from 3-point range.
 
Rackin' Up the Points
In four of NSU's wins this year in conference play, the Spartans have scored 87, 88 (twice) and 92 points. In fact, NSU has scored at least 70 points in all seven MEAC games this year and is averaging 82.4 in-conference.
 
Better in the 2nd
NSU has scored more points in the second half than the first in 17 of 22 games this season. The Spartans are averaging 39.9 points after halftime but just 32.4 before the intermission. On the year, the Spartans have shot 263-of-324 (81.2 percent) from the free throw line after intermission but just 134-of-182 (73.6 percent) beforehand. The Spartans also have a -2.0 rebound margin in the first half and a +1.5 margin in the second half.
 
MEAC Rankings
The Spartans continue to lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage (38.3), with the second highest team at 35.1. NSU also ranks first in free throw percentage (78.5) and scoring margin (-0.9), second in 3-pointers per game (7.8), opponent rebounding (34.5), blocks (4.6) and assist-turnover ratio (1.0) and third in field goal percentage (42.3), field goal percentage defense (42.9), rebounding margin (-0.5) and assists (12.2).
 
Limit Those Giveaways
The 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. On the flip side, NSU is averaging 18.0 points off turnovers the last seven games, including 30 against South Carolina State, the most since having 34 against Pfeiffer in November of 2014. The Spartans have tallied 10.7 fastbreak points over the last three games and 10.0 steals the last two games as well.
 
Block Party
NSU ranks 60th in the nation with 4.6 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 102 for this season. They have also tallied 8.0 blocks the last two contests.