NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team travels to Farmville, Virginia for a Saturday showdown with Longwood at noon in the team's final test before opening MEAC play.
 
Media Coverage
Saturday's game will be on the airwaves at 98.1 FM and http://hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128 with Ross Gordon on play-by-play. A live stream through the Big South Network and live stats are also available
 
Series History
NSU is 8-5 all-time against Longwood in a series that dates back to the 1974-75 season. Norfolk State won the first four meetings and six of the first seven. The two teams have alternated wins in the past four games with the Spartans winning in the last showdown, 85-56 on Dec. 3, 2016.
 
Jordan Strode led all scorers with 23 points in that matchup and went 12-of-12 from the free throw line. Three other Spartans joined Strode in double figures. Kayla Roberts and Gabrielle Swinson scored 15 and 10, respectively, and both chipped in four assists. Shayla Tanner had 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
NSU shot 57.7 percent from the field in the second half and 49.2 percent from the game while limiting the Lancers to 36.1 percent from the floor. Dayna Rouse paced Longwood with 14 points.
 
 
The Opening Tip
Norfolk State needed five extra minutes to defeat William & Mary 80-74 on Dec. 21. The overtime victory is the first for NSU since the Spartans defeated Howard 110-108 in double overtime on Feb. 6, 2016.
 
Roberts did the heavy lifting in the extra period, scoring nine of Norfolk State's 12 points without missing a shot. The senior guard/forward went 2-of-2 from the field in overtime and made all four of her free throws. Roberts notched her 12th-career 20-point game and finished with 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists and three steals.
 
As a team, the Spartans assisted on 19 of their 27 made baskets. Swinson set a career high with 11 helpers.
 
Khadedra Croker notched career-bests with 19 points and three assists in the win. Croker finished one off her career high with eight rebounds.
 
The overtime win guaranteed at least a .500 non-conference record for NSU. In the program's Division-I era, since 1997-98, the Spartans have only four seasons with non-losing non-conference records.
 
 
Scouting Longwood
The Lancers fell on the road, 60-41, to George Mason on Thursday night. Longwood trailed 28-23 at halftime, but the Patriots out-scored the Lancers 18-4 in the third quarter to break the game open
 
Longwood shot just 26.8 percent from the field in the loss and averages 32.6 percent shooting for the season, which ranks 341st in D-I.
 
No Lancer scored more than nine points in the loss to George Mason. On the year, Autumn Childress and Khaila Hall lead Longwood in scoring with 11.5 points per game, apiece.
 
Longwood has struggled on the glass this season and hold a negative-7.2 rebounding margin, the 316th-lowest mark in the nation.
 
The Lancers did not share a common non-conference opponent with NSU, but Longwood is 0-2 against MEAC opponents this season.
 
 
NSU vs. the Big South Conference
Norfolk State is 21-25 all-time against teams currently in the Big South and 1-1 this season. The Spartans fell at home to High Point 59-56 on Nov. 29 and cruised past Campbell 53-27 on Dec. 18.
 
The Spartans have a winning record against three Big South teams, including unblemished marks vs. Campbell (4-0) and Gardner-Webb (3-0). NSU is also 8-5 against Longwood.
 
Head coach Larry Vickers holds a 3-1 record against the Big South.
 
Those Smothering Spartans
Through 11 games this season, Norfolk State has been one of the most-prolific shot-blocking teams in the nation. NSU averages 8.0 rejections per game, which is second D-I. The Spartans' 88 total blocks also ranks third nationally. NSU has recorded more blocks than its opponent in nine of its 11 games and has not lost the block battle only once.
 
NSU rejected VCU 14 times in its season opener. Those 14 blocks are tied for the second-most in a single game in Division-I this season. Croker accounted for seven of those blocks, and that mark is tied for the 10th-most by an individual in D-I this year.
 
Through 11 games this year, NSU is second in the MEAC in scoring defense (58.5 points per game) and first in defensive field goal percentage (34.2 percent).
 
Norfolk State set the program's Division-I record for fewest points allowed in a game in its 53-27 win over Campbell on Monday while limiting the Fighting Camels to 14.6 percent shooting.
 
The Spartans finish off possessions with hard work on the glass. NSU is third in the MEAC in total rebounding (40.8 per game) and second in defensive rebounds per contest (28.1). The Spartans are also fourth in the conference in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 66.6 percent of their opponent's misses.
 
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 (129). Ranks in the top-10 in four career categories and is top-20 in seven other categories.
• Ranks 15th in all-time (1,150) and is 18th in per-game (11.7) scoring at NSU.
• 2x MEAC Defensive Player of the Week selection in 2017-18 (Nov. 21, Nov. 28). Also named MEAC Player of the Week on Dec. 19.
• 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 60-career double-digit scoring games (12-career 20-point games).
• Has led NSU in scoring 33 times, in rebounds 53 times, in blocks 39 times and in steals 27 times in her career (ties included).
• Is fourth in the MEAC in per-game scoring (13.6).
• Ranks eighth in the conference in rebounds per game (7.1).
• Has the 85th-most blocks in the nation (19) and is second in the conference in blocks per game (1.7).
• Ranks third in the MEAC in defensive rebounds per game (5.6).
• Holds the ninth-best 3-point field goal percentage in the MEAC (37.5).
• Is 13th in the conference in steals per game (1.9).
• Has the 14th-highest free throw percentage in the conference (61.4).
• Ranks 111th among active Division-I players in career points and is 14th in both career rebounding average and rebounds in D-I.
• Has the 26th most double-doubles among active D-I players. 

Raven Russell

• Broke the 20-point barrier for the first time with 21 points against Towson.
• Set season highs in field goals made (eight) and attempted (12) vs. Towson.
• Had seven assists vs. Towson to match the individual season high for NSU.
• Scored 13 points in her Spartan debut against VCU.
• Shared the game high in steals (four) vs. VCU.
• Grabbed a season-high seven rebounds at William & Mary.
• Went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line against St. Francis Brooklyn.
• Has eight games with double-figure points this year.
• Is tied for 17th in the MEAC in per-game scoring (11.6).
• Ranks fourth in the conference with a 50.5 field goal percentage while holding the eighth-best 3-point field goal percentage in the MEAC (39.3). 

Khadedra Croker

• Blocked seven shots at VCU in season opener.
• Her seven blocks against VCU are tied for the fifth-most by a Spartan in a single game and are tied for the 10th-most by a player in D-I this year.
• Recorded a block in 10 of 11 games this season and blocked multiple shots in nine games.
• Scored the game-winning basket with 4.2 seconds remaining against UNCG.
• Set career highs with 19 points and three assists at William & Mary.
• Ranks fourth nationally in blocks per game (3.3) and sixth in total blocks (36). Also tops the MEAC in total blocks.
• Owns the 10th-best field goal percentage in the MEAC (45.0)
• Ranks 19th in the conference in total rebounding (5.5) 

Yazmen Hannah

• Redshirted last season for medical reasons.
• Named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team in 2015-16.
• Made season debut vs. Navy.
• Scored a season-high 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting at William & Mary.
• 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.
• Had her first 10-rebound game against Bowling Green.
• Matched a career-high with three assists vs. Loyola (Md.).
• Has scored in double-figures in four games this season.
• Is first in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (47.4) and is tied for ninth in 3-point field goals made per game (1.6).
• Ranks 20th in the conference in total rebounding (5.5).
• Plays the 10th-most minutes in the MEAC (32.5). 

De'Janaire Deas

• Set a season high with six points an matched a season high with four rebounds vs. East Carolina.
• Went a perfect 3-for-3 from the field at ECU.
• Set a career high in steals with two vs. UNCG. 

Armani Franklin

• Led all bench scorers with 10 points at VCU.
• Led all players with seven assists and shared the game high in steals (4) vs. VCU.
• Started first career game vs. Bowling Green.
• Made 6-of-8 free throws vs. St. Francis Brooklyn, matching a season-high 10 points.
• Made her first-career 3-pointer vs. Towson.
• Shared the team high and set a career high with six rebounds vs. Towson.
• Scored a season-high 14 points to lead NSU vs. UNCG while also going 6-of-7 from the field. 

Shayla Tanner

• Scored a season-high three points in nine minutes at VCU.
• Appeared in six games this season.
• Appeared in 30 games last season and started one.
• Ranked fifth on the team in blocks (12) last season. 

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 twice. Has four or more rebounds in six games this year.
• Scored a season-best 10 points and made her first trey of the year vs. Towson. 

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.
• Recorded three points and two assists in 21 minutes vs. VCU.
• Scored a season-high five points vs. UNCG. 

Gabrielle Swinson

• Made season debut vs. Towson and scored 18 points while grabbing six rebounds and dishing out six assists.
• Notched a career-high 11 assists at William & Mary.
• Has led NSU in assists three times this season and 14 times in her career.
• Averaged 10 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists last season. 
   

What's Next
Norfolk State begins MEAC play at home on Wednesday against Coppin State.