NORFOLK, Va. - The turn of the calendar to March brings with it the last week of the regular season. After escaping Morgan State last weekend, the Norfolk State men's basketball team can wrap up at least a share of the MEAC regular season title this Saturday at Joseph Echols Hall.

The Spartans host Coppin State at 6:30 p.m. before hitting the road to play at Delaware State on Monday at 7:30 p.m.

Winners of four straight, NSU needs just one win in its last three games, or a North Carolina A&T loss, to capture its second-ever MEAC regular season title and secure the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament. At 12-1, the Spartans are two games ahead of the Aggies (11-3) in the loss column. North Carolina Central (10-5) is in third.

Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Woube Gebre on the call. Live audio is available through hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. The audio feed is also available through www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB").

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
NSU won the first meeting this year on the road, 80-66 on Jan. 12, for its 11th straight win against Coppin State. The Eagles last won in 2011-12, an 87-82 victory over the Spartans at Echols Hall. The Spartans have taken 17 of the last 19 meetings and lead 30-11 overall.

Norfolk State won its MEAC opener this year over Delaware State, 77-63 at home on Jan. 5. That extended NSU's lead in the series to 34-24. The Spartans have won seven of the past eight meetings after DSU had won 19 of the previous 23 dating back more than 12 years. This season will mark the first time since 2012-13 that the Spartans and Hornets have played twice in a season.

Scouting Coppin State
The Eagles have dropped four of their last five games, falling to 6-8 in the league and 6-23 overall. They lost all 15 non-conference games, all against Division I opponents and 13 of the 15 on the road. They currently sit eighth in the MEAC standings.

Coppin State scores just 63 points per game while giving up 76. That's because the Eagles only hit 39 percent from the field, 28 percent from 3-point range. They also turn the ball over 16 times per game, holding a -4.2 turnover margin. CSU also gives up nine 3-pointers per game, with opponents connecting on 44 percent from the floor, 36 percent from deep.

Lamar Morgan had 26 points in the team's last outing, a 70-60 setback to Delaware State. He ranks second on the team in scoring at 11.3 points per game, while Dejuan Clayton tops on the team at 14.4. Chad Andrews-Fulton grabs a team-best 6.0 rebounds with 6.9 points, with Kent Auslander up next at 6.3 points.

Scouting Delaware State
The Hornets earned just their second MEAC win on the season last Monday at Coppin State, 70-60. Delaware State sits in last place in the league at 2-11, 5-21 overall. The Hornets lost their first eight MEAC games before a win over South Carolina State, 70-68, on Feb. 4.

DSU averages just 63 points per game, ranking dead last in the country in field goal percentage at 35.3. The Hornets give up 77 points per game, as opponents have connected on 46 percent from the floor while holding a +4.6 rebounding margin.

Kevin Larkin leads the way with 16.4 points and 9.1 rebounds per game. Saleik Edwards is second on the team at 10.2 points, with Pinky Wiley third at 9.6. The duo has combined for more than 100 3-pointers. Ameer Bennett (8.3 points), D'Marco Baucum (8.1 points), and Jonathan Mitchell (8.0 points) also add some scoring punch.

Last Time Out
NSU took the lead in the last minute of play, and Morgan State's last second shot did not fall as the Spartans held on for a 75-74 win over the Bears last Saturday on the road. Morgan State missed a pair of close range shots with less than 30 seconds to go and also failed to complete a 3-point play.

Alex Long made two free throws with 45.4 seconds to go, and Nic Thomas did the same with 14.8 left. MSU erased an eight-point deficit with six and a half minutes to go, while the Spartans trailed by one with a minute remaining.

Mastadi Pitt led all scorers with 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting. Jordan Butler added 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting with five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. Thomas (14 points) and Long (10 points, eight rebounds, three assists, two blocks) also reached double figures. The Bears had five players score between 11 and 13 points despite shooting just 39 percent as a team. They were 24-of-35 from the free throw line.

Season Trends
 • NSU is looking for its third season ever with at least 13 MEAC wins, joining the 2011-12 (13-3) and 2012-13 teams (16-0). NSU can also secure its second-ever regular season title along with the 2012-13 squad.

 • The Spartans are also inching closer to a 20-win season, which would be their fourth since joining D-I. They had 26 in 2011-12, 21 in 2012-13 and 20 in 2014-15.

 • Since the start of the 2015-16 season, NSU is 27-3 in MEAC games at home (90.0 percent). The Spartans are attempting to join the 2012-13 team as the only NSU squads to go undefeated in MEAC home games.

 • Norfolk State is currently one of nine teams in the nation with one or fewer conference losses, joining undefeated Gonzaga and Wofford and one-loss teams Houston, UC Irvine, Washington, Sam Houston State, Prairie View A&M and New Mexico State.

 • NSU has had fewer turnovers than the other team in 5 of the last 6 games. The opposition is averaging 16.2 turnovers per game during that time. In addition, NSU is averaging 5.7 blocks the last 3 games.

 • Norfolk State has shot 50.4 percent in its last 2 games (58-of-115).

Player Facts
Derrik Jamerson Jr.
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (52.1), 3rd in 3-point field goals per game (2.7), 8th in field goal % (51.6) and 17th in scoring (11.1)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 1st in 3-point field goal % (61.6), 2nd in 3-point field goals (3.5) and free throw % (90.3), 4th in field goal % (58.0) and 12th in scoring (14.5)
 • Stands 1st in the nation in 3-point field goal % (52.1, 3.0 percentage points ahead of the No. 2 player) and No. 83 in 3-point field goals per game (2.68)
 • Averaging 14.5 points last 13 games on 58-of-100 shooting, 45-of-73 from deep, and 28-of-31 from the free throw line

Nic Thomas
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in 3-point field goals per game (2.5), 7th in 3-point field goal % (38.7), and 8th in scoring (14.4) and free throw % (81.6)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 4th in 3-point field goals (2.6) and free throw % (88.5), and 8th in scoring (15.2) and 3-point field goal % (41.4)
 • Stands No. 80 in the nation in 3-point field goal % (38.7), No. 126 in 3-point field goals per game (2.50) and No. 119 in free throw % (81.6)
 • Averaging 17.0 points on 36-of-83 shooting, 22-of-51 from deep, and 42-of-44 from the free throw line last 8 games played

Steven Whitley
 • Ranks 8th in the MEAC in assists (4.1), 10th in steals (1.3), 11th in defensive rebounds (4.3) and assist-turnover ratio (1.3) and 27th in scoring (9.2)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 4th in assists (5.5), 7th in assist-turnover ratio (1.7), 9th in defensive rebounds (5.0), 13th in steals (1.2) and 16th in rebounding (5.8)
 • Stands No. 138 in the nation in assists (4.1)
 • Averaging 7.8 rebounds last 5 games and 7.3 assists last 7 games

Jordan Butler
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in blocks (2.0), 9th in rebounds (6.4), free throw % (79.5) and defensive rebounds (4.6), 11th in field goal % (47.5) and 15th in offensive rebounds (1.8)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 3rd in blocks (2.0), 6th in defensive rebounds (5.3), 7th in rebounds (7.2) and free throw % (83.3) and 10th in field goal % (49.3)
 • Stands No. 46 in the nation in blocks (1.96), No. 167 in free throw % (79.5)
 • Averaging 7.3 rebounds and shooting 30-of-36 from the free throw line the last 13 games played

Alex Long
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in field goal % (48.8) and 10th in blocks (0.8)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 11th in field goal % (48.5)
 • Stands 4th all-time at NSU in blocks (125) and games played (126)
 • Needs six more points to become the 36th player in program history with 1,000 career points
 • Averaging 12.3 points on 15-of-30 shooting and 6.0 rebounds last 3 games

Mastadi Pitt
 • Ranks 13th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (35.3) and 15th in assists (2.4)
 • Shot career-high 8-of-11 for 21 points at Morgan State, his 3rd career 20-point game

MEAC Rankings
The Spartans sit 1st in the MEAC in blocks (4.5), 2nd in scoring margin (+4.2), field goal percentage defense (41.2), 3-point field goal percentage (37.7) and 3-point field goals (7.9), and 3rd in scoring offense (74.0), scoring defense (69.8), field goal percentage (44.5), turnover margin (+0.96), defensive rebounds (26.1) and defensive rebound percentage (71.4).

In MEAC games only, NSU ranks 1st in scoring offense (76.6), scoring margin (+8.7) and 3-point field goal percentage (41.3), 2nd in field goal percentage (46.3), defensive rebound percentage (72.2), blocks (3.9) and 3-point field goals (8.6), and 3rd in free throw percentage (72.7), field goal percentage defense (40.4) and rebounding margin (+2.5).

National Rankings
On a national level, Norfolk State ranks No. 33 in turnovers forced (15.64), No. 43 in 3-point field goal percentage (37.7), No. 50 in blocks (4.5), No. 53 in field goal percentage defense (41.2), No. 106 in won-lost percentage (60.7), No. 107 in defensive rebounds (26.14), No. 116 in scoring margin (+4.2), No. 121 in 3-point field goal percentage defense (33.3), No. 131 in turnover margin (+0.9), No. 137 in scoring defense (69.8), and No. 140 in scoring offense (74.0).

Conference Standings
The Spartans are guaranteed to finish fourth or better this season, the 12th time in the last 13 seasons they will have done so. They did it each of the last 7 straight seasons as well. Only 15 other teams in Division I have a longer streak than NSU of finishing in the top 4 of their respective conference standings.

Winning Record
Counting this year, NSU has had seven non-losing seasons in the last eight years. Prior to the start of that streak, NSU had a .500 or better overall record just twice in 14 seasons since moving to Division I in 1997.