NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State women's basketball begins its quest for the 2018 MEAC Tournament championship on Monday morning with an 11 a.m. first-round tilt against No. 13-seeded Savannah State. The No.4-seeded Spartans face the challenging task of winning four games in six days to reach the summit of the conference, something they have not done in 15-plus years.
 
Media Coverage
Monday's game 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. All MEAC Tournament games can be viewed on WatchESPN. In addition, live stats are available at http://meacsports.com/tournaments/?id=2551.  
 
Postseason Spartans
NSU (18-10, 11-5) begins play in its 20th MEAC Tournament on Monday. The Spartans captured their first and only tournament title in 2002, defeating Hampton 61-52 in the championship game to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
 
The Spartans are seeded fourth in the tournament for just the second time. The 2014-15 team received the fourth seed and reached the semifinals before falling to Maryland Eastern Shore in overtime, 69-64. That semifinal appearance was the first for NSU since 2005, when the Spartans reached the championship game.
 
Norfolk State is 17-17 all-time in the MEAC Tournament and 9-8 in the first round. Ten Spartans have received all-tournament distinctions, including 2002 most-valuable player Suawana Taylor. James Sweat was also named outstanding coach in 2002.
 
Head coach Larry Vickers is 1-2 in conference tournament games. He notched his first postseason victory last season, defeating Delaware State 60-40 in the first round.
 
Prior to transitioning to Division-I, NSU claimed nine CIAA Tournament titles.
 
Series History
Monday marks the 15th all-time meeting between the two teams, and Norfolk State holds an 8-6 advantage. The two programs have never met in the MEAC Tournament.
 
NSU and SSU have tussled twice this season, with the Spartans sweeping the regular-season series. Norfolk State won 78-58 on the road on Jan. 22 before downing the Lady Tigers 83-51 at Echols Hall on Feb. 17.
 
In both games the excellence of Kaylee Allen put Savannah State ahead early, only to have the Spartans run away in the second half. Allen scored 56 points across the two games, including a 32-point effort on Feb. 17. Forty-nine of those 56 points came in the first halves.
 
NSU out-scored SSU by a combined 57 points in the second halves. The Spartans allowed 18.2-percent shooting after the intermissions and limited the Lady Tigers to 2-of-18 shooting in the fourth quarter in January.
 
Alexys Long netted a career-high 29 points to lead NSU to victory on the road. The junior made eight of her 11 shots, including 5-of-8 from three, and did not miss at the foul line. The Spartan attack was exceptionally balanced in the second game, with nine players scoring five or more points. Three NSU players tallied double-digit points, led by Gabrielle Swinson's 17.
 
Swinson also recorded game highs in assists (seven) and steals (four), and the Spartans set their season-high in assists (22).
 
The Opening Tip
Norfolk State's senior night was rained upon by Hampton, as the Lady Pirates downed the Spartans 70-56 on Thursday. The loss locked NSU into solo-possession of fourth place in the conference standings, ensuring the Spartans would play in the first round of the MEAC Tournament. Meanwhile, Hampton jumped to third in the MEAC table, receiving the final bye to the quarterfinals.
 
Hampton did not shoot the ball as well as Norfolk State but registered 25 more shots, due to 14 offensive rebounds and 23 turnovers by the Spartans. HU scored 15 second-chance points and held a decisive 25-4 edge in points off turnovers. In two games against the Lady Pirates, NSU has given the ball away a combined 53 times.
 
Kayla Roberts finished her career at Echols Hall with a vintage performance, recording a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double. The Miami, Florida native also blocked two shots and shared the team high with two steals.
 
NSU blocked double-digit shots for the seventh time this season, rejecting HU 10 times. Khadedra Croker led all players with six blocks in her eighth outing this year with five or more rejections.
 
The Spartans led by four with 3:28 to play in the first quarter and was ahead 15-13 at the end of the period. Hampton opened the second on an 11-0 run to claim the lead for good. The Lady   Pirates led for the final 29 minutes and seven seconds of the game and were ahead by as many as 16 midway through the fourth period.
 
Roberts tried to will the Spartans to a comeback, scoring six-straight points on three possessions to shave the deficit to 10 with 3:29 to play, but the Lady Pirates sealed the game with a 6-0 run of their own.
 
Scouting Savannah State
The Lady Tigers (4-24, 1-15) closed out their regular season with an 80-78 overtime loss to South Carolina State on Thursday.
 
Allen scored a career-best 38 points on 14-of-22 shooting to pace Savannah State. The junior made eight of her nine shots at the foul line, corralled five rebounds and shared the game-high with three steals.
 
A second-team All-MEAC selection, Allen ranks second in the conference in scoring (17.8), fourth in steals (2.5) and 20th in rebounding (5.9).
 
SSU was up by seven early in the fourth quarter. The Lady Bulldogs tied the score twice in the period before taking their first lead in the frame at 72-70 on a Bryeasha Blair layup with 1:11 to go. Alexxus Sowell scored on the next possession to send the game to overtime.
 
The Lady Tigers never led in the extra period. Blair broke a 78-all tie with four seconds remaining to give SCSU the victory.
Savannah State turned the ball over 26 times in the loss. The Lady Tigers average 20.9 giveaways per game, which ranks 11th in the MEAC. SSU ranks last in the conference in both turnover margin (minus-5.43) and assist-to-turnover ratio (0.4).
 
NSU vs. the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference  
Norfolk State is in the midst of its 21st regular season in the MEAC. In those seasons the Spartans have accrued a 135-215 mark in conference games.
 
NSU clinched a winning MEAC record with a 63-49 win over South Carolina State on Feb. 19 and finished with an 11-5 record. The Spartans have just four other seasons with winning conference records: 1999-00 (12-6), 2001-02 (13-5), 2014-15 (11-5) and 2016-17 (9-7).
 
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 217-264 all-time against teams currently in the MEAC with winning records over Maryland Eastern Shore (26-16), Morgan State (21-15), North Carolina Central (20-7), South Carolina State (22-18) and Savannah State (8-6).
 
Vickers is in his second full season of MEAC play and is 23-19 in conference action. Vickers has a winning record against five MEAC opponents and is .500 against three other teams.
 
Those Smothering Spartans
Through 28 games this season, Norfolk State has been one of the most-prolific shot-blocking teams in the nation. NSU averages 7.4 rejections per game, which is second in D-I. The Spartans' 207 total blocks also rank third nationally. NSU has recorded more blocks than its opponent in 18 of its 28 games and has lost the block battle only thrice.
 
The Spartans broke the program's Division-I era record for team blocks with a 10-rejection outing  against South Carolina State on Feb. 19, surpassing last season's mark of 178 blocks. NSU now has 207 team blocks this season. Norfolk State trails only the 1991-1992 team for the most rejections (211) in team history.
 
NSU rejected VCU 14 times in its season opener. Those 14 blocks are tied for the fifth-most in a single game in Division-I this season. Croker accounted for seven of those blocks.
 
Croker has been an intimidating force in the paint and leads the MEAC while ranking third in D-I with 3.5 blocks per game. The redshirt junior has recorded a block in 25 of 26 games this season with multiple rejections in 23 contests.
 
NSU is second in the MEAC in scoring defense (56.4 points per game), first in defensive field goal percentage (32.7 percent) and first in 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.7).
 
On the national level, the Spartans rank third in defensive field goal percentage, seventh in 3-point field goal percentage defense and 27th 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 23 of their 28 opponents below their season average in scoring.
 
NSU has held opponents to single-digit points in a quarter 15 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 14 occasions.
 
The Spartans finish off possessions with hard work on the glass. NSU is third in the MEAC and 31st nationally in rebounding average (42.0) and is first in the conference and 17th in the nation in defensive rebounds per contest (29.0). The Spartans are also third in the conference in defensive rebounding percentage, grabbing 67.7 percent of their opponent's misses and are first in the MEAC and 79th nationally in rebounding margin (plus-4.2).
 
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

• Named First Team All-MEAC on March 2.
• Scored her 1,000th-career point against Florida A&M in the 2017 MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
• First all-time in blocked shots (150).
• Is eighth in all-time (1,381) points and ranks 18th in per-game (12.1) 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 five double-doubles this season and has 31 in her career.
• Has 73-career double-digit scoring games (15-career 20-point games) and 43 10-rebound games.
• Has led NSU in scoring 42 times, in rebounds 62 times, in blocks 40 times and in steals 34 times in her career (ties included).
• Is sixth in the MEAC in per-game scoring (14.1).
• Ranks seventh in the conference and 149th in D-I in rebounds per game (7.9).
• Is seventh in the conference and 113th nationally in blocks per game (1.5).
• Second in the MEAC in defensive rebounds per game (6.2).
• Ranks 128th among active Division-I players in career points and 20th in both rebounding average total rebounds in D-I.
• Has the 34th-most double-doubles among active D-I players.

 
Khadedra Croker

• Set the D-I era record for most blocks in a single-season against North Carolina A&T and the all-time single-season record at Hampton, has 90 this season. Also ranks 10th in career rejections.
• Blocked seven shots at VCU in season opener, those are tied for the fifth-most by a Spartan in a single game.
• Recorded a block in 25 of 26 games this season and blocked multiple shots in 23 games.
• Ranks third nationally in blocks per game (3.5) and 11th in total blocks.
• Earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Dec. 19, Dec. 26, Jan. 30, Feb. 13, Feb. 20 and Feb. 27.
• 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 and has done so for seven times.
• Set career highs with 19 points at William & Mary.
• Assisted on a career-high four baskets vs. Morgan State.
• Registered first-career double-double with 10 points and 17 rebounds at MDES.
• Is ninth in the MEAC in defensive boards (4.9) and 16th in total rebounding (6.4).

 
Alexys Long

• Is shooting 44.5 percent from deep this season, the best mark in D-I program history and the second-best mark all-time.
• Ranks second in NSU in career 3-point field goal percentage (40.4). Also 10th in career 3-point field goals made (82).
• Set career bests in points (29) and field goals (eight) while matching career highs in 3-point field goals made (five) at Savannah State. Has two 20-point games this season.
• Had first-career double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds at Howard.
• Has scored in double-figures in 14 games this season.
• Is first in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage and is fourth in 3-point field goals made per game (2.0).
• Ranks 21st 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. Also tied for the most made free throws by a MEAC player this season.
• Owns the 11th-best single-season field goal percentage (47.0) in NSU's D-I era.
• 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).
• Made season-best three treys at MDES.
• Has 19 games with double-figure points this year.
• Is 17th in the MEAC in per-game scoring (11.0).
• Ranks fourth in the conference in field goal percentage. Also 12th in the conference in free throw percentage (70.8).

 
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 second most in the MEAC this season.
• Has led NSU in assists 13 times this season and 24 times in her career (ties included).
• Recorded first double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 boards at Howard.
• Registered a season-high four steals vs. Coppin State. Also blocked a career-best two shots.
• Set a career high with eight made free throws vs. Savannah State.
• Has the 14th-highest single-season free throw percentage (77.0) in program's D-I era.

Armani Franklin

• Named to MEAC All-Rookie Team
• Led all bench scorers with 10 points at VCU Had a game-high seven assists and shared the game high in steals (4).
• Started first career game vs. Bowling Green.
• Made 6-of-8 free throws vs. St. Francis Brooklyn.
• Scored a season-high 14 points to lead NSU vs. UNCG on while also going 6-of-7 from the field.
• Grabbed a season-high seven rebounds at Hampton.

 
Kendrea Dawkins

• Blocked four shots and grabbed four rebounds against VCU.
• Scored her first points as a Spartan against Navy.
• Grabbed a season-high eight rebounds against North Carolina A&T. Has four or more rebounds in 12 games this year.
• Made first start of the season at South Carolina State.
• Scored a season-best 14 points at MDES while matching a season high with two made treys.

 
Yazmen Hannah

• Redshirted last season for medical reasons.
• Named to the MEAC All-Rookie Team in 2015-16.
• Scored a season-high 13 points at Savannah State.
• Started first game of the season against High Point, set a season high with seven rebounds and matched a career high with four steals.
• Shares the 11th-highest career 3-point field goal percentage in NSU history (30.4). Also tied for 20th in career 3-point field goals.

 
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.
• 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.

 
Zairya West

• Started first-career game against VCU.
• Recorded three points and two assists in 21 minutes vs. VCU.
• Set a career-high with seven points at MDES.
• Matched a season best with three assists vs. Delaware State.

 
Alexis Sparkman

• Made her first-career 3-pointer as a Spartan against VCU.
• Made a 3-point field goal in each of her first three games this season.
• Recorded a season-high two steals at Longwood.

 
What's Next?
Should the Spartans win on Monday, they advance to the quarterfinals, where they will face the winner of Monday's second game between No. 5-seeded Howard and No. 12-seeded Florida A&M. That quarterfinal tilt is scheduled for Thursday at 2 p.m.