NSU Men's Basketball - Alumni/Throwback Night
NORFOLK, Va. - Norfolk State came away clean after one of the longest MEAC trips around, and the Spartan men's basketball team looks to make it eight wins in a row when it hosts Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday night at Joseph Echols Hall. Tip-off is set for 6:30 p.m.
NSU used a last-minute comeback to win at South Carolina State last Saturday and then got past a cold-shooting Savannah State team on Monday. Those victories propelled NSU to second in the MEAC at 8-2 behind league leader North Carolina Central (8-1). Morgan State (7-2) and Hampton (7-3) are hot on NSU's trail.
NSU has improved its overall mark to 11-13 thanks to its seven-game win streak, the longest since the Spartans won 15 straight in 2012-13, the year they went undefeated in conference play. Maryland Eastern Shore, meanwhile, owns a 5-4 conference record this year and is 8-16 overall.
Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Julee O'Neal on the call. Live audio is available through
www.star1310.com as well as
hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Star 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 and the
live video feed. The live video feed also carries the radio broadcast.
Series History
Norfolk State won last year's meeting on the road by a 76-70 score, preventing MDES from winning two in a row for the first time in NSU's Division I era. The Spartans have won 24 of the last 27 games to improve their series record to 43-17 overall against the Hawks. The series first began in 1953-54, the oldest rivalry for the Spartans among the 12 schools in the MEAC. When the Hawks won in Norfolk two seasons ago, it broke a 10-game home win streak for the Spartans over MDES.
About Maryland Eastern Shore
The Hawks most recently defeated Coppin State at home last Saturday, thanks in part to 24 points from Ryan Andino. He ranks second on the team with 14.2 points, while Bakari Copeland leads the way in both scoring (16.5) and rebounding (6.3). In addition, Dontae Caldwell (9.0) and Logan McIntosh (8.5) also pitch in for an offense that scores 71 per game. The opposition has fared well from the field, shooting 46 percent against MDES, and outrebounded the Hawks by an average of 5.4 boards per game. The Hawks do tend to win the turnover battle (+1.5 turnover margin) while shooting 43 percent overall and 35 percent from 3-point range. MDES went 1-12 in non-conference play against Division I foes before holding steady near the middle of the league standings.
Last Time Out
Thanks in part to a 17-0 run in the second half, NSU was able to hold off a cold-shooting Savannah State team in a 92-87 win on Monday night at Tiger Arena in Savannah. The Tigers made just 23-of-83 for the night (27.7 percent), including 11-of-58 from 3-point range. The Spartans shot 62 percent in the first half and better than 50 percent overall.
Zaynah Robinson had a big hand in that, hitting 10-of-14 from the floor for a career-high tying 25 points.
Jonathan Wade added 23 points and a career-best 13 rebounds, and
Kyle Williams scored 20 on 7-of-12 shooting, 5-of-10 from deep. NSU posted a 60-45 edge in rebounds, with Wade,
Jordan Butler (12) and
Stavian Allen (career-high 10) all reaching double figures. NSU hurt itself with season highs of 27 turnovers and 33 fouls.
Player Tidbits
Jonathan Wade
 • Posted 2nd straight double-double with 23 points and career-high 13 rebounds at Savannah State; Had 19 and 12 at South Carolina State
 • Has made 22-of-27 from the free throw line last 2 games, including career-best 12-of-14 at South Carolina State
 • Averaging 22.0 points on 57.4 percent shooting with 7.1 rebounds last 8 games
 • Has scored in double figures in all 24 games
 • Ranks 3rd in the nation in largest increase in points per game from last year (+13.9) behind Northeastern's T.J. Williams (+14.5) and Hofstra's Justin Wright-Foreman (+14.3)
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in scoring (19.8), 5th in field goal percentage (49.5), 8th in 3-point field goal percentage (38.0), minutes (33.8) and defensive rebounds (4.8) and 9th in rebounding (6.1)
 • Ranks 42nd in the nation in points per game (19.8), No. 130 in field goal percentage (49.5), No. 145 in minutes (33:47), No. 223 in double doubles (3) and No. 247 in defensive rebounds (4.75)
 • Stands No. 646 in NCAA Division I career records in points (670)
 • Ranks 5th in NSU Division I records in scoring average (19.8), 12th in free throws made (115) and free throw attempts (157), 14th in 3-point field goal percentage (38.0) and 15th in field goals made (160)
 • Ranks 11th all-time at NSU in 3-point field goal percentage (36.6) and 15th in free throw percentage (76.3)
Zaynah Robinson
 • Averaging 24.0 points and 4.0 steals last 2 games and 6.7 assists last 7 games
 • Has played at least 36 minutes in 7 of the last 9 games
 • Posted 6th 20-point game of season with a career-high tying 25 at Savannah State on career-best 10-of-14 shooting
 • Had a career-best 6 steals at South Carolina State; Most steals by a Spartan player in 7 years
 • Has tallied 12 or more points in 9 of the last 11 games
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in assist-turnover ratio (3.1), 3rd in steals (1.5), 5th in free throw percentage (80.9), 6th in assists (4.3), 7th in minutes (33.9) and 18th in scoring (12.6)
 • Ranks 14th in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (3.09), No. 127 in assists (4.3), No. 136 in minutes (33:54) and No. 193 in steals (1.48)
 • Stands No. 190 in NCAA Division I career records with 236 assists and No. 817 in points (587)
 • Ranks 4th in NSU Division I records in assist average (4.30), 9th in free throw percentage (80.9) and 10th in assists (99)
 • Ranks 17th all-time at NSU in assists (236) and 3-point field goal attempts (235) and 18th in 3-point field goals (81)
Kyle Williams
 • Tallied 2nd 20-point game of the season with 20 at Savannah State; Also had career-best 4 assists and tied career high by shooting 5-of-10 from deep
Jordan Butler
 • Tallied 4th double-digit rebounding game of season, and 2nd straight, with 12 at Savannah State; Had 11 at South Carolina State as well
 • Averaging 9.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks last 10 games
 • Earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Monday, his 3rd in the last 4 weeks
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in blocks (1.8), 3rd in rebounding (7.1) and defensive rebounds (5.1) and 8th in offensive rebounds (2.0)
 • Ranks 52nd in the nation in blocks (1.84), No. 180 in defensive rebounds (5.05) and No. 184 in rebounds (7.1)
 • Stands 25th in NCAA Division I career records with 145 total blocks, 31st with a 1.69 blocks-per-game average, No. 208 in rebounds (462) and No. 1,044 in points (484)
 • Ranks 13th in NSU Division I records in rebound average (7.1) and blocks (35)
 • Ranks 3rd all-time at NSU in blocks (145)
Alex Long
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in blocks (1.4) and 12th in defensive rebounds (4.1) and rebounding (5.6)
 • Ranks 123rd in the nation in blocks (1.39)
 • Stands No. 1,477 in NCAA Division I career records in points (345)
 • Ranks 15th all-time at NSU in blocks (67)
 • Posted 2nd double-double of season with 10 points and 15 rebounds vs. Savannah State; Tied career high for rebounds
Dan Robinson
 • Averaging 5.0 points on 12-of-14 shooting last 5 games
 • Tied career high with 6 rebounds at Savannah State
 • Tied career high with 9 points at South Carolina State
 • Ranks 8th in the MEAC (1.1) and No. 185 in the nation in blocks (1.13)
Stavian Allen
 • Grabbed career-best 10 rebounds and tied career high with 2 blocks at Savannah State
Micah Goss
 • Averaging 5.0 points last 2 games
Bryan Gellineau
 • Averaging 4.0 points last 2 games
Conference Streak
NSU's win at Savannah State meant the Spartans can't finish below .500 this year in the MEAC. It secured their 19th straight season with a .500 or better record in the league. In fact, in Norfolk State's 62 seasons in a conference, the program has had just one losing conference record (9-10 in the CIAA in 1990-91).
NSU is tied with Wisconsin for eighth in the nation for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records in a row in Division I (See table page 6). NSU has posted 24 straight .500 or better conference records, dating back to that 1990-91 campaign.
Every other team in the MEAC has had at least one losing conference record since 2011-12.
Clean the Glass
The Spartans are +5.6 on the glass in conference games, including three contests in which they outrebounded their opponents by at least 10. At Savannah State, the Spartans outrebounded the Tigers 60-45, breaking NSU's previous Division I record of 56 rebounds set against Virginia State on Nov. 15, 2000. It marked the most boards in a game for the Spartans since piling up 62 against Shaw on Feb. 23, 1995. Three players had double-digit rebounding games at Savannah State, the first time that happened since March 5, 2009 against North Carolina A&T.
NSU won its first game this season while losing the rebounding battle after N.C. A&T held a +8 advantage on the glass. The Spartans own a 1-10 record this year when getting outrebounded but are 10-3 when ahead in the rebound column.
NSU ranks 53rd in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (27.17).
Keep Shooting
NSU has shot 47.6 percent from the floor over the last eight games, including better than 50 percent in wins against North Carolina A&T and at Savannah State. The Spartans are averaging 73.4 points per game and shooting 46.1 percent against MEAC foes.
Play Some 'D'
On the other side, NSU has held teams to 41 percent or less in seven of the 10 MEAC games. Included in that was a 27.7 percent effort from Savannah State on Monday. It marked the worst shooting percentage by a Spartan opponent since Howard on Jan. 9, 2012 (27.3 percent).
On the year, the Spartans rank 85th in field goal percentage defense (41.8) and 109th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (33.5).
Rejected
NSU has had more blocks than the other team in 10 of the last 11 games and 16 of the last 19. On the year, NSU ranks 21st in the nation in blocks per game at 5.3 and 25th with 127 total blocks.
The top five seasons in NSU history in terms of total blocks have all come within the last six years, as the program has averaged 163.3 blocks per season during that time.
Halftime Adjustments
So far this season, the opposition has scored the same amount or more points in the second half than the first period in 16 of NSU's 24 games. The Spartans, meanwhile, are scoring on average 5.9 more points in the second stanza than the first period.
The Spartans are shooting 45.5 percent overall in the second half, compared to 40.7 in the first. They are also connecting on 39.6 from long range in the second but just 28.8 percent in the first.
But on the other hand, NSU has been better on the glass in first halves (+0.7 rebounding margin) than second periods (-0.4).
Mix and Match
NSU has used 13 different starting lineups this year, including nine during a 10-game span at one point. The Spartans used the same starting five in eight straight games before changing it up on Monday at Savannah State. Either way, NSU is 8-1 during that time.
Fast Breaking
NSU is averaging 9.7 fastbreak points in the last 11 games, including 18 at Savannah State for the third most this year. On the season, the Spartans are averaging 7.2 fastbreak points per game.
Don't Turn it Over
On the year, Norfolk State is getting outscored 16.2-12.1 in points off turnovers, although the Spartans are averaging 15.4 points the past five games.
NSU has had more turnovers than the other team in 12 of the last 15 games. That includes a season-low seven turnovers at Coppin State but a season-high 27 at Savannah State. The latter marked the most by a Spartan team since having 34 against Elizabeth City State on Nov. 30, 2011.
NSU's turnover margin this year is -2.7, a number that falls to -4.2 in conference games.
On the year, the Spartans have a -2.3 turnover margin in the first half, a number that falls to -0.5 in second periods. They also have 78 total steals on the year in second halves compared to 38 in first periods.
MEAC Rankings
The Spartans rank first in the MEAC in blocks (5.3), with the next highest team being Morgan State at 3.5. NSU also ranks second in field goal percentage defense (43.1), field goal percentage defense (41.8), defensive rebounds (27.2) and defensive rebound percentage (71.7), and third in scoring margin (-3.4), 3-point field goal percentage defense (33.5), opponent rebounding (36.0) and rebound margin (+0.4).
Bench Production
So far this year, the opposition's bench is outscoring NSU's, 23.5-17.5. The Spartans, however, have gotten 26.7 points per game from their bench over the last three games, including a season-high 38 at Savannah State.
Ahead at the Half
The Spartans are 88-17 (83.8 winning percentage) since the start of the 2011-12 season when leading or tied at the half, including 8-4 this season (and 3-9 when trailing).
