NORFOLK, Va. – Following a one-game respite at home, Norfolk State women's basketball travels to Greenville, North Carolina for a 2 p.m. Saturday game against East Carolina.
 
Saturday's contest marks the fifth game played away from Echols Hall in the first month of the season.

Media Coverage
A live stream of Saturday's game is available through Pirate All-Access. Live stats will also be available.
 
Series History
NSU is 1-4 all-time against East Carolina. Norfolk State last defeated the Pirates 64-60 to open the 1999-2000 season. Since then, ECU has won three straight meetings, including a 65-36 victory on Dec. 20, 2014. NSU shot just 23.3 percent in that game and committed 23 turnovers.
 
Rae Corbo led the Spartans with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting. Kayla Roberts missed all nine of her field goal attempts and went scoreless.
 
The Opening Tip
Norfolk State could not overcome a 10-point halftime deficit in its 59-56 loss at home to High Point on Wednesday. The Spartans held the Panthers to an opponent season-low 28.4 percent (19-67) from the field, but the game was decided by HPU's sizable advantages in free throws and 3-point shooting.
 
High Point made 40 percent of its tries from beyond the arc, while NSU shot just 1-of-12 (8.3 percent) from deep. In addition, the Panthers went 13-of-18 on free throws, while the Spartans struggled mightily from the line (9-of-26).
 
NSU surged in the second half but could never gain the lead. Twice in the fourth quarter the Spartans cut the deficit to a single point, including a 57-56 score with 25 seconds remaining. Down 59-56 and with the ball, Norfolk State could not get off the potential game-tying shot in time.
 
Norfolk State blocked 12 shots on Wednesday for its fourth double-digit block game of the season. Four Spartans tallied multiple blocks in the game, led by Khadedra Croker's five.
 
The Spartans turned the ball over a season-low 16 times against the Panthers.
 
Roberts scored a team-high 13 points for NSU in the loss. The senior also chipped in six rebounds, four steals and a pair of blocks.
 
Emma Bockrath led the game with 14 points and was one of four Panthers to tally double-digit points. She and Camryn Brown combined to go 6-of-14 from 3-point range.
 
 
Scouting East Carolina
The Pirates held off Charlotte for a 58-55 victory on Thursday night. The Pirates led by six at the break, but the 49ers scored 21 points in the third quarter to take a 46-43 lead going into the final 10 minutes of play. ECU tied the game at 48-48 then regained the lead for good on an Ariyana Williams trey at the 7:45 mark.
 
Necole Hope scored a career-high 15 points in the win -- the freshman averages 4.4 points per game. No ECU player averages double-figure points. Thais Oliveira leads all players with 9.4 ppg. As a team, the Pirates score 64.9 points per game on 36.1 percent shooting but manage only 26.7 percent from deep.
 
ECU is strong on the glass and averages 43.1 rebounds per contest. Oliveira and Dominique Claytor do the heavy lifting on the boards with 8.4 and 6.7 rebounds per game, respectively.
 
ECU forces opponents to commit 21.7 turnovers per contest. The Pirates live up to their moniker and rank 29th nationally with 11.7 steals per game. Claytor is the main plunderer at 2.7 steals per game.
 
NSU vs. the American Athletic Conference
Norfolk State is 1-4 all-time against teams currently in the AAC. All five games were against East Carolina.
 
Those Stifling Spartans
Through six games this season, Norfolk State has been one of the most-prolific shot-blocking teams in the nation. NSU averages 9.7 rejections per game, which is tops in D-I. The Spartans' 58 total blocks also ranks fourth nationally. NSU has recorded more blocks than its opponent in every game this season.
 
Two Spartans are averaging at least two blocks per contest, led by Croker (3.5). Roberts averages 2.5 blocks per game
 
NSU rejected VCU 14 times in its season opener. Those 14 blocks are tied for the most in a single game in Division-I this season. Croker accounted for seven of those blocks, and that mark is tied for the fourth-most by an individual in D-I this year.
 
NSU is second in the MEAC in scoring defense (58.7 points per game) and first in defensive field goal percentage (34.6 percent).
 
The Spartans finish off possessions with hard work on the glass. NSU is fourth in the MEAC in total rebounding (40.8 rebounds per game) and second in defensive rebounds per contest (27.8). The Spartans are also second in the conference in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 66.8 percent of their opponent's misses. 
 
Last season, NSU blocked nearly six shots per game -- a mark that topped the MEAC and ranked sixth in Division I. The Spartans set the DI program record in total blocks (178) and trailed only the 1991-1992 team for the most rejections (211) in team history. Additionally, the Spartans ranked third in the MEAC in scoring defense, allowing only 57.8 points per game. Opponents shot just 33.4 percent from the field against NSU, which ranked third nationally.
 
Spartan Spotlight
Kayla Roberts

• Scored her 1,000th-career point against Florida A&M in the 2017 MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
• Second all-time in blocked shots (125). Ranks in the top-10 in four career categories and is top-20 in seven other categories.
• Ranks 18 in all-time and per-game scoring at NSU.
• 2x MEAC Defensive Player of the Week selection in 2017-18 (Nov. 21, Nov. 28).
• Recorded first double-double of the season (14 points, 11 rebounds) against Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 21, 2017 and has 27 in her career.
• Has 56-career double-digit scoring games (11-career 20-point games).
• Has led NSU in scoring 31 times, in rebounds 52 times, in blocks 38 times and in steals 25 times.
• Tied for 13th in the MEAC in per-game scoring (13.0).
• Is tied for 7th in the conference and is 174th nationally in rebounds per game (8.0).
• Has the 34th-most blocks in the nation (15) and is 2nd in the conference in blocks per game (2.5).
• Tied for second in the MEAC in defensive rebounds per game (6.5).
• Ranks 107th among active Division-I players in career points and is 12th and 14th in career rebounding average and rebounds, respectively, among active D-I players

 
Raven Russell

• Scored 13 points in her Spartan debut against VCU on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Shot 2-for-5 from deep and shared the game high in steals (4) vs. VCU.
• Set a career best with six field goals vs. High Point on Nov. 29, 2017
• Went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line against St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 25, 2017.
• Has made two 3-pointers in four games this year.
• Ranks 18th in the MEAC in per-game scoring (11.7).
• Ranks sixth in the conference with a 52.0 field goal percentage.
• Has started all six games this year.

 
Khadedra Croker

• Blocked seven shots at VCU in season opener on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Her seven blocks against VCU are tied for the fifth-most by a Spartan in a single game and are tied for the fourth-most by a player in D-I this year.
• Recorded a block in each game this season and blocked multiple shots in five games.
• Reached double figures in scoring (10) for the first time vs. St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 25, 2017.
• Ranks 6th nationally in blocks per game (3.5) and 7th in total blocks (21). Also tops the MEAC in total blocks.

 
Yazmen Hannah

• Redshirted last season for medical reasons.
• Named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team in 2015-16.
• Is tied for 19th in career 3-point field goal percentage (27.1 percent -- minimum 100 attempts).
• Made season debut vs. Navy.
• Scored a season-high seven points against Loyola (Md.).
• Started first game of the season against High Point and set a season high with seven rebounds.

 
Alexys Long

• Set career bests in points (17), 3-pt. field goals made (5) and attempted (7) against VCU on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Had her first 10-rebound game against Bowling Green on Nov. 24, 2017.
• Matched a career-high with three assists vs. Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 21, 2017.
• Has scored in double-figures in three games this season.
• Ranks fifth in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (45.8) and fifth in 3-point field goals made per game (1.8).

 
De'Janaire Deas

• Set season highs with four points and four rebounds vs. High Point.
• Played in 21 games last season and made one start.
• Recorded at least one rebound in 19 of 21 games last season.
• Registered a career-high eight points at Longwood on Dec. 3, 2016.
• Set career bests in minutes (18) and rebounds (seven) at Towson on Dec. 29, 2016.

 
Armani Franklin

• Led all bench scorers with 10 points at VCU on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Led all players with seven assists and shared the game high in steals (4) vs. VCU.
• Started first career game vs. Bowling Green on Nov. 24, 2017.
• Made 6-of-8 free throws vs. St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 25, 2017, matching a season-high 10 points.

 
Shayla Tanner

• Scored a season-high three points in nine minutes at VCU on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Appeared in five games this season.
• Appeared in 30 games last season and started one.
• Ranked fifth on the team in blocks (12) last season.
• Tallied a season-high eight rebounds against St. Augustine's on Nov. 15, 2016.
• Scored a career-best 11 points against Florida A&M in the MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals on March 9, 2017.

 
Kendrea Dawkins

• Blocked four shots and grabbed four rebounds against VCU.
• Scored her first points as a Spartan against Navy.
• Grabbed a season-high five rebounds vs. High Point on Nov. 29, 2017. Had four rebounds in three games this year.

 
Alexis Sparkman

• Made her first-career 3-pointer as a Spartan against VCU.
• Played a season-high 18 minutes vs. High Point.
• Made a 3-point field goal in each of her first three games this season.

 
Zairya West

• Started first-career game against VCU on Nov. 12, 2017.
• Recorded three points and two assists in 21 minutes vs. VCU.

 
What's Next?
Norfolk State returns to Echols Hall for a two-game home stand. The Spartans open against Towson on Dec. 12 then follow up against UNCG on Dec. 15. Both games are scheduled for 6 p.m.