NORFOLK, Va. - A busy stretch for the Norfolk State men's basketball team begins on Monday when the Spartans host former CIAA rival Elizabeth City State at 7 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall. It will mark the last non-conference game of the season for NSU.

Following that game, the Spartans will turn right around and leave for a contest at North Carolina A&T on Thursday at 2 p.m. The game was postponed from Jan. 6 due to winter weather conditions and then again on Wednesday. In addition, the Spartans will again be on the road the following weekend at South Carolina State and Savannah State.

Media Coverage
The games 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 and the live video feed against Elizabeth City State. The live video feed also carries the radio broadcast.

North Carolina A&T will have both live stats and a live video feed available for the game.

Series History
Of all of the teams NSU has played over the years, Elizabeth City State has the third-most wins against the Spartans. Still, NSU leads the all-time series over ECSU, 66-37. The two former CIAA rivals played last year, a 91-55 win for the Spartans at Joseph Echols Hall on Nov. 15, 2016. The programs first met in 1953-54, the first official season of basketball for Norfolk State. They met at least twice per season from 1953-54 all the way through 1996-97. This will mark just the third meeting between the two teams since the Spartans moved up to Division I in 1997-98.

Norfolk State has won six in a row over North Carolina A&T, with the last win by the Aggies coming by an 89-81 margin in overtime during the 2010-11 season. That has pushed NSU's record to 25-20 all-time against A&T, the second-closest rivalry for NSU among all teams in the MEAC. Last year the Spartans won 83-69 at home on Jan. 30, 2017 as five players scored in double figures for Norfolk State.

Scouting Elizabeth City State
The Vikings sit 5-6 on the year after falling on Saturday against Chowan at home, 64-60. John Maynor and Zaccheus Hobbs lead the way on offense, with Maynor tallying 15.2 points per game and Hobbs right behind him at 11.9. Corey Mendez is third on the team at 9.5 points for a Vikings squad that average 72 per game. They only shoot 28 percent from 3-point range while allowing teams to hit nearly 36 percent from deep as well as 47 percent overall. The Vikings do win the turnover battle pretty easily, +3.7 each time out. Opponents give it away on average 16.2 times per game, with ECSU tallying almost nine steals. Shyheid Petteway (8.3 points) is another name to look out for.

Scouting North Carolina A&T
The Aggies stand 9-8 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC heading into their game on Monday at home against Coppin State. The Aggies and North Carolina Central (also 9-8) stand as the only teams in the MEAC above .500 overall. A&T picked up five wins over D-I non-conference teams this year, thanks in part to Femi Olujobi. Shooting nearly 56 percent overall, he is averaging 20.5 points and 8.1 rebounds per game after arriving from D-I Oakland University. Devonte Boykins is the next closest scorer on the team at 9.6. As a team, the Aggies score 75.2 points per game despite hitting just 29 percent from 3-point range. They hit 74 percent from the free throw line and 47 percent overall, although the opposition connects from 46 percent from the field. Aaron Edmead (8.2 points) and Japhet Kadji (7.7 points, 5.7 rebounds) also make contributions on the offensive end.

Last Time Out
Down by 10 in the second half, North Carolina Central eventually went on a 15-2 run right near the end of the game to pull out a 64-63 win over Norfolk State on Monday at NCCU's McDougald-McLendon Arena. NSU led 58-49 with a little more than seven minutes remaining. But during that run by the Eagles, Norfolk State turned it over four times and shot 0-of-10 from the field. Derrik Jamerson Jr. made 5-of-8 from 3-point range for a 15-point night, while Kyle Williams also reached double figures with 11 points and nine rebounds. NCCU, which led by four at halftime, got 23 points on 8-of-10 shooting from Raasean Davis. The Eagles had 20 free throw attempts in the second half and 25 for the game, compared to just 12 for NSU. The Spartans did hold the rebounding edge, 40-35, while making 8-of-25 from 3-point range.

Spartan Team Tidbits
 • Over the past four games, opponents have shot 36.1 percent overall and 28.0 percent from 3-point range. Games against Old Dominion, Stony Brook and Coppin State marked the first times this season against D-I opponents NSU allowed less than 40 percent overall shooting and less than 35 percent 3-point shooting.

 • On the flip side, Norfolk State is shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and 37.9 percent from 3-point land over the last seven games, including its three highest overall shooting totals of the season during that time. The Spartans made a season-best 50 percent at Stony Brook.

 • Norfolk State had a season-high nine blocks against North Carolina Central.

 • The Spartans have averaged 13.7 second-chance points the last three games.

 • In 12 of 16 games this year, the opposition has hit at least eight 3-pointers, including double digits in 10 games.

 • Norfolk State has been a second half team. They have scored more points in the second half than the first in 12 of 16 games, with a 37.0-32.1 points per half discrepancy (+4.9) from the second to the first. Opponents, as well, have scored the same amount or more points in the second half compared to the first half in 12 of 16 games (39.5-35.4, +4.1)

 • The Spartans also have a +1.3 rebounding margin after the break compared to a -1.2 margin before.

 • Six different players have led NSU in scoring this year: Mastadi Pitt (4), Derrik Jamerson Jr. and Kyle Williams (3), and Alex Long, Nic Thomas and Steven Whitley (2).

 • NSU has had more turnovers than the opposition in five of the last six games.

 • The Spartans were +19 on the glass against Coppin State, its largest rebounding margin against a Division I team since a +23 edge at Florida A&M on Feb. 18 of last season.

 • The Spartans used five different starting lineups in the first six games and eight different combinations altogether this season.

 • So far this year, Norfolk State has had more fouls than the other team in 12 out of 16 games.

 • NSU ranks second in the MEAC in scoring defense (74.9), third in blocks (3.8) and field goal percentage defense (44.2), and fourth in opponent rebounding (35.6), offensive rebounds (11.9), defensive rebound percentage (70.2) and offensive rebound percentage (31.9).

 • On a national level, NSU stands No. 53 in turnovers forced (15.69), No. 76 in offensive rebounds (11.94), and No. 129 in blocks (3.8).

Player Tidbits
Alex Long
• Averaging 6.0 rebounds and shooting 30-of-53 last 7 games
 • Stands 8th in the MEAC in field goal % (52.8), 12th in blocks (0.7) and 29th in scoring (10.1)
 • Ranks 10th all-time at NSU in blocks (86)
 • Ranks No. 318 in NCAA career records in rebounds (375) and No. 731 in points (570)

Kyle Williams
 • Averaging 13.8 points and 6.0 rebounds last 4 games; Also 12-of-14 from the free throw line
 • Tied career high with 2 blocks at North Carolina Central with a season-best 9 rebounds
 • Tallied career-high 5 assists against Coppin State
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (38.0) and 11th in 3-point field goals (2.0)
 • Ranks 12th all-time at NSU in 3-point field goal % (36.5)
 • Stands No. 1,308 in NCAA career records in points (337)

Preston Bungei
 • Averaging 3.0 assists the last 5 games
 • Tied career high with 12 rebounds vs. Coppin State and is averaging 7.7 boards the last 3 games
 • Ranks 8th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0), 13th in defensive rebounds (4.4) and 14th in rebounding (5.9)
 • Ranks No. 1,304 in NCAA career records in points (338)

Steven Whitley
 • Averaging 6.3 rebounds last 7 games
 • Tallied career-high 2 blocks at North Carolina Central
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in steals (1.9), 8th in assists (3.9), 12th in assist-turnover ratio (1.3), 15th in defensive rebounds (4.2), 17th in rebounding (5.6) and 22nd in scoring (10.9)
 • Stands No. 78 in the nation in steals (1.88) and No. 180 in assists (3.9)

Mastadi Pitt
 • Averaging 2.8 assists the last 4 games
 • Made career-high 9-of-10 from free throw line vs Coppin State
 • Ranks 5th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (38.9) and 11th in free throw % (79.1)

Derrik Jamerson Jr.
 • Averaging 12.0 points last 2 games on 8-of-14 3-point shooting
 • Ranks 7th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (38.5) and 8th in 3-point field goals (2.2)

Nic Thomas
 • Ranks 14th in the MEAC in free throw % (76.9)

Dan Robinson
 • Averaging 4.5 points and 5.0 rebounds last 2 games
 • Had season-high 3 blocks at North Carolina Central
 • Ranks 12th in the MEAC in blocks (0.7)

Bryan Gellineau
 • Averaging 6.3 points on 9-of-13 shooting last 3 games

Good from 3
Norfolk State has made a 3-pointer in 265 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.

Series Edge
NSU has a winning record against every school in the MEAC, with several of those series covering a lot of ground in the Division II era. The Spartans' closest rival over the years has been S.C. State, in which NSU now leads 22-18. The next closest rivalry is currently North Carolina A&T (25-20).