NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State women's basketball welcomes Bethune-Cookman to Echols Hall on Saturday at 4 p.m. in a clash of two teams with perfect MEAC records.
 
Something must give on Saturday as the Spartans (11-5, 4-0 MEAC) pit their nine-game winning streak against the Lady Wildcats' (13-4, 5-0) string of 12-straight conference road victories dating back to the 2014-15 season.

NSU then faces a quick turnaround to face Florida A&M on Monday at 5:30 p.m.
 
Media Coverage
Both games can be heard live featuring play-by-play commentary by Ross Gordon on Hot 91.1 FM and online at http://hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. Live streams of the Bethune-Cookman and Florida A&M games are available through Spartan Showcase Video Streaming. In addition, live stats are available.
 
Series History
Saturday marks the 32nd installment of a series that dates back to 1997-98. Norfolk State trails in the all-time series 15-16 and has lost each of the last three to the Lady Wildcats.
 
The Spartans won seven of the first eight meetings but are 4-9 in the last 13 games.
 
Bethune-Cookman swept two games last season, starting with a 68-58 result at Echols Hall on Jan. 28. B-CU opened the game on a 10-4 run and led 16-9 after the first 10 minutes. Trailing 32-23 at the half, the Spartans pulled to within four, 32-28, early in the third quarter only for the Lady Wildcats to go on a 15-0 run to build their largest lead of the game. NSU cut the lead to nine midway through the fourth quarter but could not pull any closer.
 
NSU fared no better in the return trip, falling on the road 53-44 on Feb. 20. The Spartans shot only 27.5 percent from the floor without making a single 3-pointer on nine attempts. The Lady Wildcats committed 20 turnovers to the Spartans' nine, but Norfolk State could not fully capitalize.
 
Ashanti Hunt scored a combined 31 points with 22 rebounds in two games against NSU last season. Hunt did not miss from the floor in the first game while going 15-of-21 from the charity stripe across both games.

NSU and FAMU have met 30 times in a series that dates back to 1996-97. NSU split the first six games with FAMU, but the Lady Rattlers won the next eight and 17 of the next 18. Since then, the Spartans are 2-4 against FAMU.

Norfolk State lost twice to the Lady Rattlers last season. FAMU took the regular-season meeting 59-51 in Tallahassee, Florida on Feb. 18. Florida A&M out-scored NSU 16-11 in the decisive third quarter. Norfolk State shot just 24.7 percent from the floor in the game and made only half of its free throws.

The offensive production was better, but the final result was the same in NSU's 80-73 loss to FAMU in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament. The Spartans shot 43.8 percent from the floor, but the Lady Rattlers were hot from deep -- making nine of their 21 attempts. Florence Ouattara was one of two Lady Rattlers with four treys in the game.
 
The Opening Tip
Norfolk State authored its largest comeback this season in a 78-58 win over Savannah State on Monday night. The Spartans trailed by 15 points, their second-largest deficit this season, in the second quarter but out-scored the Lady Tigers 49-21 in the second half, including 29-6 in the fourth quarter.
 
NSU shot 71.4 percent from the field in the fourth quarter and scored 18 of the game's final 26 points while limiting SSU to 11.1-percent shooting in the period.
 
Alexys Long notched a career-high 29 points for the Spartans on 8-of-11 shooting. The junior guard/forward made five of her eight attempts from beyond the 3-point arc while connecting on all eight of her free throws.
 
Raven Russell recorded NSU's second, and her first, double-double of the year with a 10-point, 11-rebound outing against SSU. The junior guard also assisted on four baskets while coming away with five steals. Kayla Roberts owns Norfolk State's other double-double of the year, registering 14 points and 11 rebounds in a losing effort to Loyola (Md.) on Nov. 21.
 
Savannah State opened the game on a 7-0 run and led 15-8 after the first quarter. The Spartans shot 3-of-14 in the period while turning the ball over seven times. NSU cut down on the offensive miscues in the second quarter, but Kaylee Allen scored 13 in the quarter to keep her team ahead by eight, 37-29, going into the break. Allen scored 19 in the first half and ended the game with 24 on 8-of-23 shooting.
 
Scouting Bethune-Cookman
The Lady Wildcats preserved their untarnished MEAC record with a 68-60 win over Delaware State on Saturday. B-CU overcame a slow start, scoring just seven points on 13.3 percent shooting in the first quarter, to notch its fifth conference win of the season.
 
Angel Golden came on late for Bethune-Cookman with 15 of her team's final 17 points en route to a 24-point afternoon. The junior guard shot 8-of-17 from the floor and 4-of-11 from deep while recording three assists and three steals.
 
 B-CU tops the MEAC in scoring defense, yielding only 57.6 points per game, while ranking second in scoring offense, 64.1. The Lady Wildcats are the MEAC's most-potent team from long range, averaging 6.6 treys per game on 35.8 percent. Golden leads the conference in 3-point shooting (41.5 percent) on 2.59 makes per contest.
 
Behind the steady guidance of Emily Williams, Bethune-Cookman tops the MEAC with a 0.84 assist-to-turnover ratio. Williams is second on her team with 54 assists while turning the ball over only 29 times. Ashanti Hunt leads the Lady Wildcats with 65 assists.
 
B-CU won its second-straight MEAC regular-season title last season with a 15-1 mark in conference play and fell to Hampton 52-49 in the conference tournament championship game. This season, the Lady Wildcats were picked to finish second in the preseason poll, behind only Hampton.

NSU vs. the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
Norfolk State enters its 21st season of competition in the MEAC. In those 20-plus seasons the Spartans have accrued a 128-210 mark in conference games. NSU has just three seasons with a winning conference record, including a 9-7 result last year. The Spartans have never turned in consecutive winning seasons in the MEAC.
 
NSU is still searching for its first regular-season MEAC title and has just one tournament title to show, having won the 2002 MEAC Tournament.
 
Many MEAC teams are former CIAA rivals of the Spartans, and NSU is 211-258 all-time against teams currently in the MEAC with winning records over Maryland Eastern Shore (25-16), Morgan State (21-15), North Carolina Central (20-7), South Carolina State (21-18) and Savannah State (7-6). The Spartans are also 17-17 vs. North Carolina A&T.
 
Head Coach Larry Vickers begins his second full season of MEAC play and is 16-14 in conference action. Vickers has a winning record against five MEAC opponents and is .500 against three other teams.
 
Going Streaking
Norfolk State enters Saturday on an nine-game winning streak. The Spartans last lost on Dec. 2, 51-46 at East Carolina. Since then, NSU has scored 71 points per game while out-scoring the competition by over 12 points per game. Norfolk State is shooting 42.5 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from 3-point range during the nine-game surge while holding opponents to 32.4 percent shooting, including 28.3 percent from deep.
 
Roberts is averaging a team-best 17 points in the past eight games while making 18 of her 33 attempts from beyond the arc (54.5 percent). Long has been equally lethal from deep, shooting 52.9 percent.
 
The nine-game streak is the longest winning streak in the program's Division-I era. The Spartans had multiple winning streaks of five games in the early D-I years but had not won five straight since the 2001-02 team won its last two regular-season contests and went 3-0 in the MEAC Tournament.
 
As of Thursday, the winning streak is the longest among all HBCUs and is tied for the eighth-longest streak in the nation.
 
Those Smothering Spartans
Through 16 games this season, Norfolk State has been one of the most-prolific shot-blocking teams in the nation. NSU averages 7.8 rejections per game, which is second in D-I. The Spartans' 124 total blocks also rank eighth nationally. NSU has recorded more blocks than its opponent in 13 of its 16 games and has lost the block battle only once.
 
NSU rejected VCU 14 times in its season opener. Those 14 blocks are tied for the fourth-most in a single game in Division-I this season. Khadedra Croker accounted for seven of those blocks, and that mark is tied for the 22nd-most by an individual in D-I this year.
 
Croker has been an intimidating force in the paint and leads the MEAC while ranking fifth in D-I with 3.4 blocks per game. The redshirt junior has recorded a block in 13 of 14 games this season with multiple rejections in 12 contests.
 
NSU is second in the MEAC in scoring defense (58.1 points per game) and first in defensive field goal percentage (33.2 percent).
 
On the national level, the Spartans rank third in defensive field goal percentage and 42nd in scoring defense.
 
Norfolk State set the program's Division-I record for fewest points allowed in a game in its 53-27 win over Campbell on Dec. 18 while limiting the Fighting Camels to 14.6 percent shooting. This season, the Spartans have held 12 of their 16 opponents below their season average in scoring and are 7-5 in those games.
 
NSU has held opponents to single-digit points in a quarter 11 times this season, including a season-high three times against Campbell. Additionally, Spartan opponents have shot less than 20 percent from the field in a quarter on nine occasions.
 
The Spartans finish off possessions with hard work on the glass. NSU is first in the MEAC in total rebounding (41.4) and first in defensive rebounds per contest (28.3). The Spartans are also third in the conference in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 67.3 percent of their opponent's misses.
 
Last season, 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. NSU blocked nearly six shots per game last season -- 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.
 
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 (133). Ranks in the top-10 in seven career categories and is top-20 in four other categories.
• Is tied for 11th in all-time (1,222) points and ranks 18th in per-game (12.0) 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 64-career double-digit scoring games (14-career 20-point games).
• Has led NSU in scoring 37 times, in rebounds 53 times, in blocks 39 times and in steals 28 times in her career (ties included).
• Is second in the MEAC in per-game scoring (14.8).
• Ranks 10th in the conference in rebounds per game (6.8).
• Is fifth in the conference and 112th in the nation in blocks per game (1.5).
• Fourth in the MEAC in defensive rebounds per game (5.1).
• Ranks fourth in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (40.4).
• Tied for 10th in the conference and 164th in D-I in steals per game (2.0).
• Ranks 128th among active Division-I players in career points and is 18th in career rebounding average and 25th in rebounds in D-I.
• Has the 34th-most double-doubles among active D-I players.

 
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, are tied for the 22nd-most blocks in D-I and are the most blocks by a MEAC player this year.
• Recorded a block in 13 of 14 games this season and blocked multiple shots in 12 games.
• Has the fifth-most blocks (48) in a single season in NSU's D-I history. Is tied for ninth for the single-season blocks all-time.
• Earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Dec. 19 and Dec. 26.
• Scored the game-winning bucket with 4.2 seconds remaining against UNCG.
• Reached double figures in scoring (10) for the first time vs. St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 25, 2017 and has done so for four times.
• Set career highs with 19 points and three assists at William & Mary.
• Ranks fifth nationally in blocks per game (3.4) and 20th in total blocks (48). Also tops the MEAC rejections per game.
• Owns the ninth-best field goal percentage in the MEAC (43.7)
• Ranks 20th in the conference in total rebounding (5.9). Ranks 11th in defensive rebounds (4.4).

 
Alexys Long

• Is shooting 49.2 percent from deep this season, the best mark in D-I program history and the second-best mark all-time.
• Ranks second in career 3-point field goal percentage (40.6).
• Set career bests in points (29) and field goals (eight) while matching career highs in in 3-point field goals made (five) at Savannah State. Those 29 points are tied for the second-most in the MEAC this season.
• Had her first 10-rebound game against Bowling Green.
• Has scored in double-figures in seven games this season.
• Is first in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (49.2) and is fifth in 3-point field goals made per game (1.9).
• Is 20th in scoring in the MEAC (10.6).

 
Raven Russell

• Broke the 20-point barrier for the first time with 21 points against Towson on Dec. 12, 2017.
• Made all 12 of her free throws at S.C. State. Tied for the sixth-most free throws in a single game by a NSU player.
• Notched first double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds at Savannah State.
• Had a season-high seven assists vs. Towson.
• Scored 13 points in her Spartan debut against VCU.
• Shot 2-for-5 from deep and shared the game high in steals (4) vs. VCU.
• Grabbed a season-high seven rebounds at William & Mary.
• Has 10 games with double-figure points this year.
• Is 16th in the MEAC in per-game scoring (11.2).
• Ranks fourth in the conference with a 46.6 field goal percentage. Also fourth in the conference in free throw percentage (81.4).
• Currently owns the 12th-highest field goal percentage in NSU's D-I era and has the eighth-best free throw percentage in a single season.

 
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.
• Matched her season high with six rebounds at N.C. Central.
• Scored a season-high 14 points to lead NSU vs. UNCG on while also going 6-of-7 from the field.

 
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.
• Is tied for 15th-highest career 3-point field goal percentage in NSU history (28.2).

 
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 -- the most in the MEAC this season.
• Has led NSU in assists eight times this season and 19 times in her career (ties included).
• Registered a season-high three steals at Longwood.
• Blocked a career-best two shots vs. Coppin State.

 
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 seven games this year.
• Scored a season-best 10 points and made her first trey of the year vs. Towson.
• Made first start of the season at South Carolina State.

 
De'Janaire Deas

• Set a season high with six points and matched a season high with four rebounds vs. ECU.
• Went a perfect 3-of-3 from the field at ECU, setting a career-high in field goals.
• Set a career high in steals with two vs. UNCG.
• Made a career-best three free throws at N.C. Central.
• Grabbed a career-high 10 boards at S.C. State.

 
Shayla Tanner

• Scored a season-high three points in nine minutes at VCU.
• Ranked fifth on the team in blocks (12) last season.
• Grabbed a season-best seven rebounds at N.C. Central.
• Scored a career-best 11 points against Florida A&M in the MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals on March 9, 2017.

 
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.
• Recorded a season-high two steals at Longwood.

 
Zairya West

• Started first-career game against VCU.
• Recorded three points and two assists in 21 minutes vs. VCU.
• Scored a season-high six points vs. Coppin State. Also set season-best in field goals made (three).

What's Next?
Norfolk State resumes the home stand against Florida A&M on Monday at 5:30 p.m. The Spartans then play three of the next four on the road against top-tier teams North Carolina A&T (Jan. 31), Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 5) and Hampton (Feb. 10). NSU's lone home game in that stretch comes on Feb. 3 against Morgan State.