NSU Men's BasketballNORFOLK, Va. - Back at home after eight straight games on the road, the Norfolk State men's basketball team wraps up non-conference play against Princeton on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.
Media CoverageThe 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 the
live stats and the
live video feed. The live video feed also carries the radio broadcast.
Series HistoryTuesday's game will mark the completion of a home-and-home series that began last year at Princeton. In the first ever meeting between the schools, the Tigers hit nine 3-pointers on the way to a 71-61 victory over the Spartans on Jan. 6, 2015 at Princeton's Jadwin Gym.
About PrincetonThe Tigers won by 30 at Hampton on Sunday to improve to 8-4 on the year. For a team that averages more than 76 points per game, Henry Caruso has been the top dog at 17.2 points to go with 6.9 rebounds. He shoots better than 58 percent overall and 48 percent from 3-point range for a Tiger squad that shoots nearly 45 percent overall and tallies 9.3 made 3-pointers a game. Devin Cannady (10.4 points), Spencer Weisz (9.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.7 assists) and Steven Cook (9.5 points, 5.0 rebounds) also contribute for a team that outrebounds teams by 4.3 boards and averages slightly less than 11 turnovers per contest. The Tigers have given up almost 69 points and have allowed teams to hit 44 percent overall and 36 percent from 3-point range.
Last Time OutNSU was outscored 35-21 after halftime, shooting 25 percent in the second half in a 68-49 loss at Alabama on Saturday at Coleman Coliseum. The Spartans trailed by just five at the break but went nearly seven minutes during the second half without scoring. Alabama, meanwhile, hit 11 3-pointers and held the usually-potent Spartans to a 6-of-22 effort from beyond the arc.
Jeff Short made four of those and finished as the only double-digit scorer with 16 points. NSU shot 19-of-54 (35.2 percent) for the game and only attempted eight free throws. Alabama got 23 points from Retin Obasohan and 15 from Arthur Edwards, all on 3-pointers, and hit 45.8 percent (22-of-48) overall.
D'Shon Taylor and
Preston Bungei each added eight points on the day.
Player TidbitsJeff Short• Needs 98 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
• Averaging 18.8 points on 28-of-61 field goals and 15-of-34 3-pointers with 4.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists last 5 games
• Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (42.3), 4th in scoring (16.9), 5th in free throw % (82.9) and 9th in 3-point field goals (2.0); Sits 110th in the nation in free throw % (82.9) and 130th in points per game (16.9)
• Stands 71st in NCAA D-I in career scoring average (12.9) and 129th in points (1,084)
• Ranks 6th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal percentage (.402), 14th in 3-point field goals (99) and 15th in 3-point field goal attempts (246)
D'Shon Taylor• 12-of-14 from the free throw line last 7 games played
• Ranks 7th in the MEAC in free throw % (81.6), 11th in 3-point field goal % (36.2) and field goal % (43.8) and 18th in rebounding (4.9); Also sits 140th in the nation in free throw % (81.6)
• Ranks 17th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal % (.356) and 19th in 3-point field goals (67) and 3-point field goal attempts (188)
Charles Oliver• 39-of-44 in free throws over the last 10 games
• Ranks 6th in the MEAC in free throw % (82.8), 8th in 3-point field goal % (36.8) and 11th in 3-point field goals (1.9); Sits 115th in the nation in free throw % (82.8)
Zaynah Robinson• 32-4 assist-turnover ratio last 12 games
• Ranks 4th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (42.1) and 12th in steals (1.2) and assists (2.9)
Jordan Butler• Averaging 7.0 points and 9.0 rebounds last 4 games
• Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in blocks (2.2), 7th in defensive rebounds (4.5) and rebounds (6.9) and 9th in offensive rebounds (2.3); Also stands 35th in the nation in blocks (2.20), 222nd in offensive rebounds (2.33) and 236th in rebounds (6.9)
• Ranks 14th in NSU career records in blocks (67)
Preston Bungei• 19-of-22 from the free throw line last 8 games
• Ranks 13th in the MEAC in blocks (0.9)
Gotten Used to ThisNSU will finally return home after playing 13 of the first 15 games on the road. Starting with Princeton, NSU will now have five home games in January and will only have to leave the Hampton Roads area for a two-game trip to North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T.
Good from the LineNSU, which ranked 282nd in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 77.6 percent this season, the latter of which stands third 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 125-of-151 (82.8 percent) over the last eight games.
Good Shootin'So far this year, Norfolk State is hitting 38.3 percent from beyond the arc with 108 total treys, a year after making 190 for the second-most ever in a season in program history. The Spartans are also shooting close to the same from 3-point range compared to inside the arc (41.3 percent, 227-of-550). NSU's current 38.3 clip from long range ranks 49th in the nation.
Better in the 2ndNSU has scored more points in the second half than the first in 11 of 15 games this season. On the year, the Spartans are are shooting 40.9 from 3-point range in the second but 35.3 in the first. The Spartans are averaging 37.3 points after halftime but just 31.3 before the intermission. The Spartans also have a -2.1 rebound margin in the first half and a +2.0 margin in the second half.
MEAC RankingsThe Spartans continue to lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage (38.3) and and free throw percentage (77.6) while also ranking second in scoring defense (73.7), 3-pointers per game (7.2), opponent rebounding (34.9) and blocks (4.1) and third in rebounding margin (-0.1) and assist-turnover ratio (0.8).
Limit Those GiveawaysThe Spartans on the season are averaging 13.1 turnovers per contest. The school record for fewest giveaways per game is 13.1 set in 1987-88. NSU has committed just 11.0 turnovers the last three games.
Block PartyNSU ranks 111th in the nation with 4.1 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 62 for this season.
Good from 3Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 196 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.
