Hampton Women (13-15, 11-4 MEAC) at NSU (2-23, 2-13)
Thursday, March 3 * 6 p.m.
Norfolk, Va. * Echols Hall
Game Notes  |  Live Video ($$) |  Live Stats  |  Live Audio

NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State (2-23, 2-13) closes its 2015-16 regular season Thursday by hosting rival Hampton University (13-15, 11-4) in the Battle of the Bay, Part 2. Tip-off is at 6 p.m. at Echols Hall.

The Spartans will be looking to put an end to a four-game losing streak and gain some momentum entering next week's MEAC tournament, while Hampton is looking to lock up at least a share of the regular-season conference title and No. 1 seed in the tournament.

Media Coverage: The game will be broadcast on WNSB 91.1 FM, with Ross Gordon and Aaron Clark on the call. Links to live audio, live video and live stats are available at the top of this page.
  
Scouting NSU: The Spartans dropped their fourth straight game Monday in gut-wrenching fashion, losing 64-63 to Howard. Lady Bison Victoria Gonzales hit two free throws with 0.5 seconds left to give Howard the lead, and Kayla Roberts' last-gasp 3-pointer was not released in time as the Spartans fell at home. The loss was the fourth straight by NSU, all by single digits and by a combined margin of 16 points. Brehanna Daniels scored a career-high 17 points while Roberts and Koryn Lawrence had 11 apiece. Beslow, Roberts and Shayla Tanner had nine rebounds each 

With the loss, NSU is assured of finishing as the No. 13 seed for next week's MEAC tournament. The Spartans open tourney play Monday at 11 a.m. against the No. 4 seed (still TBD).

Scouting HU: Hampton (13-15, 11-4) dropped into a three-way tie for first place in the MEAC after an 89-81 home loss to Delaware State on Monday. Malia Tate-DeFreitas scored a game-high 35 points, made six 3-pointers and had a team-high eight rebounds for the Lady Pirates, who are tied with Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T atop the standings with one game left. Hampton was outrebounded 54-26 in the game and DSU shot 45 percent from the floor.

Tate-DeFreitas, the reigning MEAC Player of the Year, is a leading candidate to win that honor again, leading the MEAC with 21.1 points per game. She also averages 7.0 rebounds per contest.
                                                                                
All-Time Series vs. HU: Hampton leads the all-time series with NSU, 55-36. Hampton won the first meeting this season, 73-62, on Jan. 30 at Hampton. The teams split their two meetings last year, with each winning on its home floor. NSU's 71-66, overtime win on Jan. 31, 2015 snapped HU's 17-game winning streak in the series dating to 2006. Hampton won the second meeting last season in the regular-season finale, 64-49 on March 5.

Last Meeting: Malia Tate-DeFreitas scored 24 points and Mikayla Sayle added 15 to help Hampton hold off Norfolk State 73-62 in the Battle of the Bay on Saturday, Jan. 30 at the HU Convocation Center. Dominique Harper scored a career-high 17 points and Siobhan Beslow had a double-double of 11 points and 10 rebounds for NSU.

The Spartans trailed 21-16 after one period and cut their deficit to three (21-18) on a jumper by Beslow 19 seconds into the second quarter. But NSU went nearly six minutes without another point. Hampton outscored NSU 18-4 in the second quarter and led 39-20 at the intermission.
  
NSU forced six Hampton turnovers in the final quarter and got a huge final period from Harper, who scored 15 points on 5-of-6 shooting in the stanza. She scored on a traditional three-point play to cut Hampton's lead to seven, 68-61, with 1:25 remaining.

But Tate-DeFreitas hit two free throws at the other end, and after a Spartan turnover, Tate-DeFreitas hit a 3-pointer from the left wing to make it 73-61 with 39 seconds left.

Swan Song for Seniors: Thursday's game will be the final home game for seniors Brehanna Daniels and Siobhan Beslow. Daniels will be recognized prior to the game, while Beslow will not be participating in the festivities since she was recognized on Senior Day at La Salle last year.

Daniels has played in 45 games at NSU the last two years after transferring from Louisburg College. She has started six times and scored 171 career points, recorded 62 rebounds and 33 assists. Daniels is averaging 5.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.0 assist per game this year. She has scored in double figures five times this season, all in the last six weeks. She poured in a career-high 17 points Monday on 8-of-16 shooting against Howard and had 16 against Delaware State on Feb. 20. The Virginia Beach native is majoring in mass communication.

Beslow is NSU's leader in scoring (10.6 points), rebounds (9.3), field-goal percentage (51.8) and blocks (1.3). She leads the MEAC in rebounds and double-doubles (11) and is a two-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week. The Norfolk native earned her bachelor's degree in environmental science from La Salle and is majoring in urban education in graduate school at NSU.

Good Hands: Koryn Lawrence has at least one steal in 14 straight games, a streak that started with NSU's first game of 2016, at Coppin State. Lawrence had seven thefts on Monday, the most by a Spartan since Whitney Long also had seven against Delaware State on Feb. 18, 2012. Lawrence's night increased her season total to 52 steals. Her 2.2 average ranks fourth in the MEAC.

Big on the Boards: NSU has outrebounded its opponents in three straight games, topping DSU 41-36, Coppin State 49-45 and Howard 48-45 on the glass. This marks the first time NSU has won the rebound margin in three straight contests this year.