CollegeInsider.com TournamentNEW YORK, N.Y. - Norfolk State will be making its fifth straight postseason appearance on Wednesday when the Spartan men's basketball team travels to New York to take on Columbia at 7 p.m. at Levien Gymnasium in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
NSU will be competing in the CIT for the third straight year. The Spartans are the only program in the MEAC to compete in the postseason each of the last four years, much less five.
Media Coverage
The 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.
The game will also be streamed live through www.CollegeInsider.com. Host Columbia will provide live stats as well.
Series History
This will mark the first ever meeting between Norfolk State and Columbia. It will also mark the fourth ever meeting for NSU against an Ivy League school. The Spartans are 0-1 against Cornell and 0-2 against Princeton, including an 83-74 loss earlier this year in Norfolk.
About Columbia
The Lions finished third in the Ivy League this year at 10-4 as well as 21-10 overall. They had their best conference record in 22 years and their most regular season wins since 1950-51. On the year, Maodo Lo leads the way with 16.7 points and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 45 percent overall and better than 37 percent from 3-point range. Alex Rosenberg (13.8) and Grant Mullins (13.1) also tally double figures in scoring. Luke Petrasek adds in 9.8 points and is tied for the team lead with 4.5 rebounds. The Lions score 76 points per game while shooting 45.4 percent as a team. They hit 37.4 percent from 3-point range and average 9.5 made 3-pointers per contest. Columbia also does a good job of taking care of the ball (10.9 turnovers, 1.3 assist-turnover ratio).
Last Time Out
Behind by 21 in the second half against South Carolina State last Friday, NSU came all the way back and took a one-point lead with 22.4 seconds remaining. The Bulldogs, though, made two free throws late and got a stop on the other end to top NSU 67-65 in the MEAC semifinals. NSU, the No. 2 seed in the tournament, had to overcome a first half that saw S.C. State shoot 55 percent overall. A 10-0 run at the end of the half put NSU behind by 14. The deficit grew to 21, but NSU actually outscored the Bulldogs 25-8 in the last 12 minutes of the game. D'Shon Taylor led NSU with 15 points, four rebounds and three assists, while Jordan Butler added 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting with five rebounds and two blocks. It would have marked NSU's biggest comeback win since overcoming a 21-points deficit against North Carolina A&T on March 4, 2010.
Postseason History
NSU has made five postseason appearances in its Division I era (1997-Present), and all have come in the last five years. It started with the NCAA tournament in 2012 after the Spartans won their first-ever MEAC title. NSU went to the NIT in 2013 after winning the conference's regular season title at 16-0. NSU also faced Eastern Michigan in 2014 and Eastern Kentucky in 2015, both in the first round of the CollegeInsider.com Tournament.
Player Tidbits
Jeff Short • Named to MEAC All-Tournament Team
 • Earned 1st Team All-MEAC honors for 2nd year in a row
 • Has 28 assists the last 6 games (4.7 per game), including career-high tying 7 against Howard; 14-15 from the free throw line last 3 games
 • Ranks 5th in the MEAC in free throw % (81.8), 7th in scoring (15.6), 11th in 3-point field goal % (36.1), 12th in 3-point field goals (2.1) and 14th in assists (2.6); Sits No. 127 in the nation in free throw % (81.8) and 223 in points per game (15.6)
 • Stands No. 134 in NCAA D-I in points (1,330) and 144 in career scoring average (13.2)
 • Ranks 2nd in NSU career records in free throw % (.819), 7th in 3-point field goals (135), 8th in 3-point field goal attempts (358), 9th in 3-point field goal percentage (.377), 16th in scoring average (17.4) and 33rd in scoring (1,148)
 • Ranks 5th in a season in NSU's D-I history in 3-point field goals (66) and 3-point field goal attempts (183), 7th in free throws (130) and free throw % (81.8), 10th in points (500), 11th in free throw attempts (159) and 13th in scoring average (15.6) and field goal attempts (366)
D'Shon Taylor • Has scored 12+ points in 17 of the last 18 games
 • Averaging 16.2 points on 46.2 % shooting and 6.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals last 12 games
 • Has at least 1 steal in 13 of the last 14 games
 • 22-of-26 from the free throw line last 6 games and 8-of-17 from the 3-point line last 4 contests
 • Ranks 10th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (37.0), 12th in steals (1.2), 13th in field goal % (45.4) and 15th in scoring (13.4) and free throw % (76.4)
 • Stands No. 142 in NCAA D-I in career scoring average (13.2) and 450 in career points (871)
 • Ranks 12th in NSU career records in 3-point field goal % (.362), 15th in 3-point field goals (94) and 16th in 3-point field goal attempts (260)
 • Also ranks 15th in a season in NSU's D-I history in 3-point field goal % (37.0)
Charles Oliver • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in free throw % (82.4) and 22nd in scoring (12.2); Sits No. 115 in the nation in free throw % (82.4)
 • Stands 5th in NSU D-I season records for free throw % (82.4), 8th in 3-point field goal attempts (172), 10th in 3-point field goals (59) and 11th in free throws (117)
Zaynah Robinson • Averaging 3.3 rebounds last 3 games
 • Has hit 32 of his last 37 free throw attempts; Also owns a 21-6 assist-turnover ratio the last 8 games
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (39.8) and 11th in assists (2.9) and steals (1.2)
• Would stand 8th in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (3.65) but is just short of the 3.0 assists-per-game minimum average
 • Stands 6th in NSU D-I season records in 3-point field goal % (39.8) and 12th in assists (95)
Jordan Butler • Averaging 11.6 points on 64.8 % shooting with 7.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks the last 11 games
 • Has 24 blocks the last 8 games; Tied career high with 7 blocks against Morgan State, tying the NSU D-I record shared by Kyle O'Quinn; Fell 1 short of tying the overall school record of 8
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in blocks (2.2), 9th in offensive rebounds (2.4), 11th in rebounding (6.7) and 12th in defensive rebounds (4.3); Also stands No. 36 in the nation in blocks (2.18), 186 in offensive rebounds (2.36) and 244 in rebounds (6.7)
 • Stands No. 48 in NCAA D-I in career blocks per game average (1.64)
 • Ranks 3rd in NSU career records in blocks (108)
 • Also stands 4th in NSU D-I season records for blocks (72), 9th in rebounds (221), 11th in field goal % (54.2) and 15th in rebound average (6.7)
Alex Long • Named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0)
 • Stands 13th in NSU D-I season records in blocks (34)
Preston Bungei • Has made 24 of his last 28 free throws
 • Ranks 12th in the MEAC in blocks 0.9)
 • Stands 15th in NSU D-I season records in blocks (31)
Jonathan Wade • Averaging 4.3 rebounds last 7 games, including career-high 7 at Morgan State
 • Has made 17 straight free throws
3-Game StreakNSU won three straight games by 18, 20 and 19 points before the loss to South Carolina State. It marked the first time since the end of the 2009-10 season that the Spartans won three in a row by at least 18 points. During that three-game streak, opponents shot just 32.5 percent overall and 21.3 percent from 3-point range while averaging 58.7 points per game.
NSU ranks No. 100 in the nation in opponent field goal percentage at 42.1.
Block PartyNSU ranks No. 25 in the nation with 5.2 blocks per game. The top four 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 five seaons and currently have 170 for this year. They also only trail the 2010-11 team (5.7) for the most blocks per game in school history. NSU has also posted 57 blocks the last eight contests (7.1 per game).
Good from the LineNSU, which ranked No. 282 in the nation last year in free throw percentage, has improved its mark from 65.9 to 77.5 percent this season, which currently ranks the Spartans third in the nation. NSU is attempting to hit better than 70 percent this year for the first time since the 2003-04 season and break the school record of 72.3 set in 1968-69.
NSU has already broken the record for free throws made in a season in its Division I history (616), surpassing the previous best of 544 set in 2011-12. The overall school record stands at 669 set in 1965-66.
Good From Long RangeWith 240 3-pointers this year, Norfolk State has also set the school record for most makes in a season, surpassing the previous best of 198 set in 2011-12. NSU is hitting 35.3 percent from beyond the arc, just behind the school's Division I record of 35.7 percent set in 1998-99. After a slump late in the year, NSU has made 24-of-60 from 3-point range (40.0 percent) the last three games.
Limit Those GiveawaysThe Spartans on the season are averaging 12.5 turnovers per contest. The school record for fewest giveaways per game is 13.1 set in 1987-88. NSU has also had as many or fewer turnovers than the opposition in 18 of the last 19 games. The Spartans have also had the same amount or more steals than the opposition in 16 of the last 18 games.
On the flip side, NSU is averaging 18.7 points off turnovers the last 14 games.
MEAC RankingsThe Spartans lead the league in 3-point field goal percentage (35.3), free throw percentage (77.5), scoring margin (+1.0) and field goal percentage defense (42.1) while ranking second in scoring offense (73.9), blocks (5.2), turnover margin (+0.91) and assist-turnover ratio (1.0) and third in 3-pointers per game (7.3).
In conference games only, Norfolk State led the MEAC in scoring offense (80.9), free throw percentage (77.6), scoring margin (+8.4), assists (13.8) and assist-turnover ratio (1.1).
A Second ChanceNSU has averaged 14.7 second-chance points the last six games, including a season-high 22 against Howard.
Scoring Around the BasketNSU is averaging 26.2 points in the paint this year but 31.5 in the last 11 games.
Winning RecordNSU has now secured its fifth straight non-losing season. Prior to the start of that streak in 2011-12, NSU had a winning record just twice in 14 seasons since moving to Division I in 1997. The Spartans owned an 86-51 record over the previous four seasons, the best four-game stretch for the program since 1993-97 (94-26).
