NORFOLK, Va. – Two teams jockeying for position atop the MEAC standings meet on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Joseph Echols Hall. Norfolk State stakes its undefeated conference mark on the line when it welcomes Maryland Eastern Shore for a game with implications in the MEAC title race.
 
The Opening Tip
A 7-0 run over the final 75 seconds of the game broke a 50-all deadlock and propelled Norfolk State to a 57-50 win over South Carolina State on Monday.
 
The Spartans led for the majority of the game – 30 minutes and 20 seconds in total – but were unable to gain lasting separation from the Lady Bulldogs until the dying seconds of the game.  Prior to the final 60 seconds, NSU managed to build a lead of six points twice only to have S.C. State storm back both times.
 
Alexys Long provided the final, and most-significant, field goal of the game. With 1:15 left in the fourth quarter, the senior from Clinton, Maryland knocked down a 3-pointer from the left wing to put NSU ahead 53-50. With Long already in her shooting motion, the Lady Bulldogs fouled Khadedra Croker, resulting in two free throws. Croker hit both foul shots for a back-breaking five-point possession.
 
Long's dagger was the fifth trey by the Spartans in the second half. Norfolk State shook off a cold start from deep – going 2-of-6 in the first three periods – with a 4-of-7 showing beyond the arc in the final quarter. Led by Long (2-of-3) and Kendrea Dawkins (3-of-4), NSU shot 46.2 percent from long range.
 
A slow start to the game saw Norfolk State lead 9-8 after the first 10 minutes. The Spartans held the Lady Bulldogs without a field goal for the first 5:48 of the game, but NSU managed just three points in that same amount of time. When Kyesha Lewis finally broke SCSU's field goal drought, the score was tied at 3-3.
 
Croker netted six points in the second quarter as the Spartans built a 23-18 halftime lead. Croker ended the game with a game-high 15 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including her first-ever trey, and chipped in five rebounds and an assists as well.
 
The Spartans fell behind by four early in the fourth, but stormed back late to secure the win. Norfolk State dialed in offensively in the quarter, shooting 6-of-11 (54.5 percent) in the frame, and 4-of-7 from deep. Dawkins did not miss in the fourth, hitting all three of her 3-pointers for nine points in as many minutes of time on the court.
 
Norfolk State held a 36-25 advantage in the rebounding battle. Three Spartans grabbed five or more boards, led by Dana Echols' game-high six. Echols also assisted on five field goals.
 
With the victory, Norfolk State matches the 1995-96 team for the best start to conference play in 23 years. The Spartans are just one of two remaining teams with an unblemished MEAC record.
 
Sizing Up Maryland Eastern Shore
The Hawks (9-10) improved to 5-1 in the conference with a 64-52 win at Bethune-Cookman their last time on the floor. MDES won in large part to their plus-nine turnover margin and 70.6-percent shooting from the foul line.
 
On the season, the Hawks rank third in the conference with a plus-1.26 turnover margin. Since the start of MEAC play, MDES ranks first among conference teams in turnover margin (plus-5.5).
 
Against Bethune-Cookman, MDES assisted on 18 of its 23 baskets, and five players recorded two or more assists. On the season, the Hawks rank second in the conference in both assists (13.1) and lead the MEAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9).
 
Ciani Byrom scored a game-high 23 points for MDES versus the Lady Wildcats and made three of her four attempts from deep. For the year, Byrom ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (16.2), fourth in 3-point field goal percentage (35.2) and is first in assist-to-turnover ratio. In addition, she trails only Echols for the most assists per game (4.2) in the MEAC.
 
As a squad, the Hawks are the MEAC's top 3-point shooting team, making seven per game at a 30.9-percent. In addition, MDES is the second-best team at guarding the 3-point line, allowing just 29.0-percent shooting from deep.
 
The Hawks boast the services of reigning conference rookie of the year Bairesha Gill-Miles. In her sophomore campaign, Gill-Miles is averaging 8.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game on the fourth-best shooting percentage in the conference (46.4).
 
The Spartans and Hawks shared three common opponents in their non-conference slates. MDES beat Cheyney 88-39 and lost to both Longwood (83-71) and Wake Forest (78-67).
 
All-Time Series vs. MDES
The two sides meet for the 43rd time on Saturday. Norfolk State holds a 26-16 edge over the Hawks and has won each of the past three.
 
The Spartans took the first four games to start the series and were 15-1 in the first 16 contests. The series then swung in MDES' favor with the Hawks winning 11 of the next 16.
 
NSU won the only meeting last season, prevailing 63-53 in Princess Anne. The Spartans jumped out to a 29-13 first-quarter lead after shooting 63.2 percent (12-of-19) in the opening frame.
 
MDES recovered from NSU's opening haymaker and eventually tied the game in the third quarter. The Hawks scored 12 unanswered in the third to knot the score at 39-39 with 3:07 remaining. The Spartans scored five points over their next two possessions and kept MDES at bay for the rest of the game.
 
Dawkins came off the bench and poured in a game-high 14 points. The Harvest, Alabama native was one of four Spartans to score in double figures, and Croker logged the first double-double of her career with 10 points and a personal-best 17 rebounds.
 
The Spartans turned the ball over twice as many times as the Hawks but carried the day on the strength of their 45.3-percent shooting from the field. In the first half, NSU shot 55.6 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from 3-point range.
 
Head coach Larry Vickers is 3-0 all-time against the Hawks. MDES head coach Fred Batchelor owns a 13-10 mark against the Spartans.
 
NSU vs. the MEAC
Norfolk State is in the midst of its 22nd season of MEAC play. The Spartans joined the conference for the 1997-98 season after spending their first 24 seasons in Division II as a member of the CIAA.
 
In its first 21-plus seasons of MEAC play, NSU is 141-215 (.396) in conference tilts. The Spartans posted consecutive winning seasons in the MEAC for the first time last season, going 11-5 after a 9-7 mark in 2016-17. Norfolk State has not turned in three-straight winning conference records since its run of seven-straight from 1991 to 1997.
 
The Spartans are 185-206 (.473) all-time against current members of the MEAC. NSU holds winning marks against Maryland Eastern Shore (26-16), Morgan State (21-16), North Carolina Central (20-7), Savannah State (9-7) and South Carolina State (23-18).
 
Vickers owns a 29-19 (.604) record in MEAC play and is 25-12 (.676) since his first full season in 2016-17. Vickers has a winning record against Delaware State (4-1), South Carolina State (5-1), Savannah State (4-3), Maryland Eastern Shore (3-0), Coppin State (3-2) and North Carolina Central (2-0).
 
What's Next?
Having hit a lull in their schedule, the Spartans do not play again until their travel to Howard on Feb. 2. NSU then gets another full week of rest before a two-game road trip to face Bethune-Cookman on Feb. 9 and Florida A&M on Feb. 11.