NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State will begin a stretch in which it plays three games in five days beginning on Thursday night when the Spartan men's basketball team takes on Mid-Atlantic Christian. Game time is set for 7 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.
The Spartans will also host Niagara on Saturday in a 4 p.m. contest at Echols Hall for Winter Wonderland before traveling to Eastern Kentucky for an 8 p.m. start on Monday at EKU's McBrayer Arena.
Media Coverage
The games against Mid-Atlantic Christian and Niagara will be broadcast live on Famous 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon on the call. Live audio is available through
www.wgh1310.com as well as
hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Famous 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 at
www.sidearmstats.com/nsu/mbball/ and the live video feed at
www.nsuspartans.com/watch for both games. The live video feed also carries the radio broadcast.
Series History
This will mark the first ever meeting between NSU and Mid-Atlantic Christian, located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina.
Niagara has won both meetings all-time against NSU, including last year's 65-61 win at Niagara that began the home-and-home series. Jonathan Wade scored 23 points, and
Alex Long totaled 16 points and 15 rebounds as well. The Purple Eagles also won the very first meeting, 80-69, on Dec. 29, 2009 in the Sun Bowl Invitational.
Scouting Mid-Atlantic Christian
The Mustangs, out of the USCAA, own a 4-8 record on the year, although Thursday's game will not count toward their record. MACU has already played and lost to fellow MEAC opponents North Carolina A&T (115-76) and Hampton (117-54) so far this year. Despite those lopsided losses, the Mustangs still give up just 75.5 points per game while scoring 66. They only make 36 percent overall and 29 percent from 3-point range. Although opponents shoot around the same from 3-point range, they do hit nearly 49 percent from the floor against the Mustangs. Tejeda Grayson leads the way with 15.6 points per game, with Tyler Hendrix (9.5) and Leander Williams (7.8) also pitching in on offense. MACU has been outrebounded on the season by nearly 15 boards per game. They do force 17 turnovers each time out on the floor.
Scouting Niagara
The Purple Eagles fell to 4-6 on the year after dropping a home contest to St. Francis (Pa.) on Sunday in overtime, 93-87. Niagara scores close to 84 points per game while also giving up nearly 89. Despite those offensive numbers, just two players score in double figures. But they form a deadly duo. Matt Scott (25.4 points, 7.2 rebounds per game) and Kahlil Dukes (22.4 points) carry the load for Niagara. They have combined for 57 3-pointers this year, helping the team shoot 38 percent from deep and 44 percent overall. They also average a combined 7.4 assists and 2.4 steals per game. The next closest scorer on the team is Marvin Prochet (6.5 points, 7.6 rebounds). Four other players also average at least five points per contest. Defense has been the Achilles Heel, as Niagara allows teams to shoot 50 percent overall and 43 percent from 3-point range. The Purple Eagles have been solid with the ball, turning it over just 10.2 times each game.
Last Time Out
Loyola Chicago attempted just 35 field goals but made them count by making 71 percent overall in an 80-52 win over NSU last Saturday at LUC's Gentile Arena, the highest shooting percentage by any team in Division I this season. The Ramblers made 25-of-35 for the game, including 10-of-13 from 3-point range, as well as 20-of-29 from the free throw line. They held the Spartans to 33 percent shooting, as NSU had 23 more attempts from the floor. Part of that was due to their 12-5 edge on the offensive glass and 20 Loyola turnovers. The Ramblers did hold the overall edge on the glass, 36-21. Donte Ingram made 5-of-6 from 3-point range for a 15-point night, and teammate Bruno Skokna added 18 points. For NSU,
Derrik Jamerson Jr. tallied 14 points on 5-of-11 shooting, and
Steven Whitley added 10.
Player Tidbits
Zaynah Robinson
• Did not play last 8 games (hip injury)
Jordan Butler
• Did not play the first semester of the season
Alex Long
• Had career highs of 22 points on 10-of-13 shooting vs. Bowling Green
• Stands 8th in the MEAC in field goal % (50.0) and 26th in scoring (10.0)
• Ranks 12th all-time at NSU in blocks (79)
• Ranks No. 315 in NCAA career records in rebounds (333) and No. 712 in points (499)
Kyle Williams
• Averaging 10.3 points on 14-of-32 shooting, 10-of-23 from deep, with 3.5 rebounds last 4 games
• Ranks 9th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (38.9) and 10th in 3-point field goals (1.8)
• Stands No. 1,352 in NCAA career records in points (259)
Preston Bungei
• Had career-high 8 assists vs. Bowling Green in career-best 40 minutes
• Ranks 5th in the MEAC in blocks (1.3), 15th in assists (2.6), 19th in rebounding (5.0) and 29th in scoring (9.7)
• Also stands No. 164 in the nation in blocks (1.33)
• Ranks No. 1,312 in NCAA career records in points (270)
Steven Whitley
• Averaging 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 3.0 steals last 4 games
• Had career-high 4 steals vs. Bowling Green and then tied it at Loyola Chicago
• 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
• Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in steals (2.0), 9th in assists (3.6), 12th in assist-turnover ratio (1.0), 14th in free throw % (74.4), 17th in scoring (11.9) and 18th in rebounding (5.1)
• Stands No. 60 in the nation in steals (2.00)
Mastadi Pitt
• Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (43.8) and 13th in 3-point field goals (1.6)
Nic Thomas
• Did not play at Loyola Chicago (injury)
• Ranks 8th in the MEAC and No. 230 in the nation in free throw % (80.8)
Derrik Jamerson Jr.
• Had career highs of 14 points, 4-of-10 shooting from deep and 3 steals at Loyola Chicago
Spartan Team Tidbits
• NSU has never started a season 0-9. Before this year, the worst start was 0-5 in 1999-2000 and again in 2001-02.
• Counting the last two games of the 2016-17 season, Norfolk State is currently on an 11-game overall losing streak. The Spartans lost 11 in a row in both 2009-10 and 2010-11, the longest losing streaks in program history. Those two losing streaks, though, came in the middle of each season.
• The Spartans had a season-high 13 steals at Loyola Chicago. It marked the most steals in a game since NSU had 14 against Morgan State on Jan. 21, 2013.
• The Spartans are averaging just 12.3 turnovers the last three games. Over the last five, meanwhile, opponents are averaging 18.4.
• Teams have outscored NSU in points in the paint (28.2-22.2) and points off turnovers (21.0-14.7) so far this year.
• But the Spartans have averaged 17.2 points off turnovers over the last fives games. They have also been above their yearly average for points in the paint in four of the last six games, and are averaging 10.0 second chance points each of the last two contests.
• NSU had seasons highs of 12 fastbreak points and 30 points in the paint against Kent State. The Spartans also shot a season-best 46.2 percent with a season-high 19 assists against Bowling Green.
• The Spartans has certainly been a second half team. They have scored more points in the second half than the first in seven of nine games, with a 36.3-28.4 points per half discrepancy (+7.9) from the second to the first.
• NSU has gotten to the free throw line almost twice as much in second halves (81-of-115) than first halves (41-of-63), and the Spartans have a -0.3 rebounding margin after the break compared to a -4.6 margin before. Opponents are the same at the free throw line, hitting 108-of-138 in second halves compared to 52-of-76 in first periods.
• Norfolk State also averages 9.9 turnovers in the first half and 7.4 after the intermission.
• The biggest difference for opponents is first-half 3-point shooting (47.1) compared to second-half 3-point shooting (40.2).
• The Spartans used five different starting lineups in the first six games of the season but the same starting five each of the last four games now.
• NSU ranks third in the MEAC in blocks (3.4), fourth in opponent rebounding (36.9) and fifth in 3-point field goals (6.8) and defensive rebound percentage (69.2).
• On a national level, NSU stands No. 58 in turnovers forced (16.11), No. 142 in offensive rebounds (11.00) and No. 156 in blocks (3.4).
