NORFOLK, Va. - The homestand continues for the Norfolk State men's basketball team as NSU welcomes Bowling Green to town for a Saturday evening contest. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall for Youth Night. It will mark the second game of a stretch in which NSU plays four of five at home.

Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Famous 1310 AM with Ross Gordon on the call. Live audio is available through www.wgh1310.com. The feed is available on smartphones through the Famous 1310 website.

Fans can also follow along with the live stats at www.sidearmstats.com/nsu/mbball/ and the live video feed at www.nsuspartans.com/watch. The live video feed also carries the radio broadcast.

Series History
This will mark the second game ever between NSU and Bowling Green and the finish of a home-and-home series. The Falcons won last year's meeting on their home court, 86-77, on Dec. 30.

Scouting Bowling Green
The Falcons earned a home win over San Jose State on Wednesday, 85-79, to run their record to 6-2 on the season. Every game this year, win or loss, has been by less than 10 points. BGSU is a team that scores and scores a lot, averaging 84.8 points per game, ranking in the top 50 in the country. Four players reach double figures, including leading scorer Justin Turner (16.6 points). Dylan Frye (15.4), Rodrick Caldwell (15.1 points, 4.0 assists) and Demajeo Wiggins (14.6 points, 8.0 rebounds) round out BGSU's dangerous lineup. Derek Koch (7.9 points, 6.5 rebounds) is the fifth member of the team's starting lineup. BGSU averages nearly nine 3-pointers per game while shooting 40 percent from deep and 43 percent overall. Turner, Frye and Caldwell all hit better than 40 percent each. Opponents have shot nearly 47 percent while also scoring above 80 per game (82.0 to be exact). The Falcons own a +2.8 turnover margin, averaging slightly more than 11 per game while forcing teams into nearly 14 giveaways per contest.

Last Time Out
Kent State trailed by four at halftime and by 12 early in the second half before surging ahead for a 79-70 win over Norfolk State on Wednesday evening at Joseph Echols Hall. KSU easily surpassed its first half production, outscoring the Spartans 51-38 in the second stanza. The Golden Flashes made 50 percent after halftime and used a 26-of-31 advantage at the free throw line, 18 more attempts than NSU, to secure the win. Kyle Williams led NSU with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, while Steven Whitley nearly had a triple double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists. Preston Bungei totaled 14 points and five boards and Mastadi Pitt added 10 points. For Kent State (4-3), Adonis De La Rosa led the way with 19 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks. Jalen Avery (18 points, five rebounds, four assists) and Kevin Zabo (15 points, five rebounds, four assists) also reached double figures in scoring. The Spartans led for more than 27 minutes in the game, nearly three times as long as KSU.

Spartan Team Tidbits
 • NSU has never started a season 0-7. Before this year, the worst start was 0-5 in 1999-2000 and again in 2001-02.

 • Teams have outscored NSU in points in the paint (28.9-22.3), second-chance points (10.6-7.6) and points off turnovers (22.1-14.1). The Spartans have averaged 17.7 points off turnovers over the last three games.

 • NSU had seasons highs of 12 fastbreak points and 30 points in the paint against Kent State

 • Norfolk State has scored more points in the second half than the first in six of seven games, with a 36.7-28.1 points per half discrepancy from the second to the first. NSU has gotten to the free throw line more than twice as much in second halves (76-of-106) than first halves (30-of-47), and the Spartans have a +0.4 rebounding margin after the break compared to a -2.9 margin before.

 • Norfolk State also averages 10.6 turnovers in the first half and 8.0 after the intermission.

 • The biggest difference for opponents is first-half 3-point shooting (41.7) compared to second-half 3-point shooting (37.8), while the opposite stands true for overall shooting at 49.0 in second halves compared to 44.1 in first halves.

 • The Spartans have used five different starting lineups in seven games this season.

 • NSU ranks third in the MEAC in blocks (3.7), fourth in defensive rebound percentage (70.4) and fifth in free throw percentage (69.3) and 3-point field goal percentage (32.2).

 • On a national level, NSU stands No. 101 in turnovers forced (15.57), No. 146 in offensive rebounds (11.29) and No. 135 in blocks (3.7).

Player Tidbits
Alex Long
 • Stands 12th in the MEAC in field goal % (45.8)
 • Ranks 14th all-time at NSU in blocks (77)
 • Ranks No. 302 in NCAA career records in rebounds (325) and No. 723 in points (468)

Kyle Williams
 • Averaging 12.0 points on 8-of-14 shooting, 5-of-11 from deep, with 3.0 rebounds last 2 games
 • Ranks No. 11 in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (37.5) and 15th in 3-point field goals (1.5)
 • Stands No. 1,329 in NCAA career records in points (242)

Preston Bungei
 • Averaging 10.5 points and 6.0 rebounds last 2 games; Played a career-high 37 minutes vs. Kent State
 • Ranks 5th in the MEAC in blocks (1.4) and 10th in minutes (31.6)
 • Also stands No. 142 in the nation in blocks (1.43)
 • Ranks No. 1,306 in NCAA career records in points (249)

Steven Whitley
 • Set career highs with 12 rebounds, 9 assists and 35 minutes vs. Kent State; Nearly had NSU's first triple double in 30 years after scoring 12 points as well
 • Averaging 14.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, 5.0 assists and 2.0 steals last 2 games
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (42.1), 7th in free throw % (82.4), 11th in steals (1.4) and assists (3.3), 12th in defensive rebounds (4.4), 13th in rebounding (6.0), 14th in scoring (12.0) and 15th in assist-turnover ratio (0.9)
 • Stands No. 189 in the nation in double-doubles (1) and No. 223 in free throw % (82.4)

Mastadi Pitt
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (43.5), 15th in free throw % (75.0) and 26th in scoring (10.3)

Nic Thomas
 • Ranks 8th in the MEAC in free throw % (80.8)

Stavian Allen
 • Ranks 14th in the MEAC in blocks (0.8)

Dan Robinson
 • Averaging 5.3 rebounds last 3 games
 • Ranks 13th in the MEAC in blocks (0.9)

Predictable Numbers
Since the start of the 2015-16 season, NSU is 32-4 when shooting better than the opposition and 2-37 when the other team has a better shooting percentage.

Good from 3
Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 256 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.

Winning the State
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, NSU has the fourth-most wins (120) among the 14 Division I schools in the state of Virginia. The Spartans trail Virginia (164), VCU (163) and Old Dominion (121).