NORFOLK, Va. – Norfolk State's hunt for its second-ever MEAC Tournament title begins at 2 p.m. on Thursday in the quarterfinals against Howard. The fourth-seeded Spartans (15-14) aim to reach the semifinals for only the second time in the last 14 years in their rubber match against the fifth-seeded Bison (18-12).
 
The Opening Tip
Norfolk State shot 50 percent from the floor and stifled Howard's potent offense in its 74-59 win over the Bison to conclude the regular season. The Spartans held the MEAC's highest-scoring offense 14 points below its season average on a season-low 24.3-percent shooting performance.
 
Each of NSU's three seniors left an imprint in their final game inside Echols Hall. Khadedra Croker provided her usual inside presence – grabbing 10 rebounds and blocking two shots – but also scored nine points and provided two assists. Alexys Long scored 12 points, knocked down one of the Spartans' three 3-pointers and chipped in three assists and two steals as well. Lastly, Raven Russell made half of her field goal attempts en route to a nine-point, six-rebound, two-assist night.
 
While Howard focused on the 3-point arc for its scoring production, Norfolk State had eyes only for the painted area. The Spartans took only eight long-range shot attempts, making three, and scored nearly three-quarters of their points inside the paint. For the game, NSU outscored the Bison 54-12 inside the paint – matching its season-high in that category.
 
Norfolk State withstood a barrage of 3-pointers in the first quarter and led 22-21 after the first period. Howard made six of their 10 attempts from deep in the quarter to keep pace with NSU. The Spartans could not match the Bison in terms of 3-point volume in the quarter but rode 52.6-percent shooting and a 6-1 edge in the turnover margin.
 
Howard's hot start did not carry over to the second quarter, and the Spartans jumped ahead to a 41-33 halftime lead. NSU limited the Bison to 23.1-percent shooting in the period, including a 2-of-7 mark from long range. The Spartans converted those stops into easy baskets, scoring six of their 19 points on the break.
 
La'Deja James scored seven of her team-high 19 points in the second period. For the game, the Virginia Beach native was 7-of-11 from the field, made both of her treys, grabbed six rebounds and dished out two assists.
 
The scoring woes continued into the third quarter for the Bison, who shot only 19 percent from the floor in the period, including a 1-of-12 mark from deep. A 15-0 run spanning 4:39 gave NSU a 58-36 lead with 3:30 remaining in the third. However, HU closed out the period on an 8-2 run.
 
Howard's surge continued into the fourth quarter, where the Bison opened on a 7-0 run. Over a span of 6:45 going back to the third quarter, HU outscored the Spartans 15-2 to turn a blowout into a single-digit game.
 
Sizing up HU
The Bison reached Thursday's quarterfinals with a 59-53 victory over No. 12-seeded Florida A&M in the first round on Monday.  
 
Howard shot 40 percent from the field in the victory but was just 2-of-15 (13.3 percent) from 3-point range. In their two games after a record-setting 13-for-27 performance from deep against Savannah State on March 2, the Bison are shooting 24.1 percent from beyond the arc.
 
HU's leading sharpshooter, Jayla Thornton, struggled against the Lady Rattlers -- going 1-for-8 from downtown. Thornton sank 14 treys in her final two regular season contests but has made only one of her last 18 long-range attempts. Despite her recent struggles, Thornton still ranks in the top-100 nationally in treys per game (3.2, 16th) and 3-point field goal percentage (37.4, 79th).
 
With its high-octane offense faltering, Howard turned to its defense to win the game. The Bison limited FAMU to 27-percent shooting, including a 3-of-14 (21.4 percent) mark from long range. The Lady Rattlers turned the ball over 17 times and saw only one player, Dy'Manee Royal, score more than eight points Royal was the lone bright spot for FAMU and posted a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double.
 
Howard's Imani Bryant turned away six FAMU shot attempts and added six points and 11 rebounds. In all, the Bison recorded 10 blocked shots on the day. For the season, HU tops the conference and ranks 26th in the nation in blocks per game (4.8). Bryant accounts for 2.0 blocks each game and is 43rd nationally in that category.
 
All-Time Series vs. HU
Thursday's quarterfinal date marks the 49th all-time meeting between the two sides with the Bison holding a decisive 33-15 edge over the Spartans.
 
Starting with the Spartans' move to the MEAC in 1997-98, NSU dropped 29 of the 34 meetings with HU over a period of 16 years. In that span, the Bison owned winning streaks of 11, seven, five and four games, and Norfolk State never pieced together consecutive victories.
 
HU got the better of NSU in the first game this season, defeating the Spartans 74-70 in the nation's capital.
 
The Bison made 33 trips to the foul line in the win, making 23. In 2018-19, Howard has taken the second-most free throws in Division I and has made the eighth-most.
 
Four Spartans scored in double figures in the loss, led by Russell and James' 16 points. Russell shot 50 percent from the floor with three treys, three rebounds and two steals. James came off the bench for her 16 and had five rebounds and two assists.
 
Norfolk State avenged that loss and sent its senior class out on a high note with a 74-59 win over the Bison on March 7. In one of the most consequential wins in head coach Larry Vickers' young tenure, NSU pulled even with Howard for fourth place in the conference standings and locked down the fourth and final first-round bye in the MEAC Tournament.
 
Vickers is 3-3 all-time against Howard. HU's Ty Grace is 3-3 versus the Spartans.
 
NSU in the MEAC Tournament
Norfolk State is making its 21st appearance in the MEAC Tournament and is searching for its second-ever tournament title. The Spartans topped Hampton, 61-52, in 2002 for their only MEAC Tournament championship.
 
NSU is in somewhat unfamiliar territory, having received a bye into the quarterfinals for the first time since the 2002 championship season. Since their first MEAC Tournament in 1999, the Spartans have received a first-round bye only one other time, doing so in 2000. When Norfolk State has received a first-round bye, it has made the championship game both times.
 
The Spartans enter the tournament as the fourth seed for the second-year in a row. NSU holds a 2-2 all-time record as the No. 4 seed in the MEAC Tournament and reached the semifinals as the fourth seed in 2015 before falling to Maryland Eastern Shore, 69-64, in overtime.
 
In total, NSU is 17-18 all-time in the MEAC Tournament and is 4-7 in the quarterfinal round. Additionally, the Spartans are 1-2 against Howard in the conference tournament.
 
Vickers owns a 1-3 record in MEAC Tournament play and is making his second-ever appearance in the quarterfinals. Vickers coached the Spartans to the quarterfinals in 2017, where they fell 80-73 to Florida A&M.
 
Dating back to their Division II days, the Spartans were immensely successful in CIAA play. Between 1975 and 1996 NSU won its conference tournament nine times and was runner-up three more times. Five of those tournament titles came between 1991 and 1996.
 
NSU vs. the MEAC
Norfolk State concluded 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 22 seasons in the MEAC, NSU is 145-221 (.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 then turned in its third-straight winning conference record with a 10-6 mark this season. Prior to their current run, the Spartans had not strung together three-consecutive winning conference seasons since doing so in seven-straight seasons in the CIAA from 1990 to 1997.
 
The Spartans are 189-211 (.473) all-time against current members of the MEAC. NSU holds winning marks against Maryland Eastern Shore (26-17), South Carolina State (23-18), Morgan State (22-16), North Carolina Central (21-7) and Savannah State (9-7).
 
Vickers owns a 33-25 (.569) record in MEAC play and is 30-18 (.625) since his first full season in 2016-17. Vickers has a winning record against South Carolina State (5-1), Delaware State (4-2), Savannah State (4-3), North Carolina Central (3-0), Maryland Eastern Shore (3-1) and Florida A&M (3-2).
 
Defensive Titans
An unyielding defense has become a trademark for the Spartans under Vickers, who have turned in a top-40 scoring defense and a top-three field goal percentage defense in each of the last two seasons. In 2016-17, Norfolk State ranked 39th in D-I after allowing only 57.8 points per game and owned the nation's third-stingiest field goal percentage defense (33.4).
 
This season, NSU ranks 15th in scoring defense (55.7), 13th in field goal percentage defense (35.4) and eighth in opponent 3-point percentage (26.6).
 
At the conference level, the Spartans rank first in scoring defense since the 2016-17 season, allowing 56.6 points per game in that span. During the same time period, Norfolk State tops all MEAC teams in field goal percentage defense (33.8), blocks per game (5.8) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (27.6).
 
Record Watching
The 2018-19 edition of the Spartans figure to leave their marks on the record books.
 
As a team, NSU is on pace to set single-season Division I marks in scoring defense (55.7), field goal percentage (40.1), defensive 3-point field goal percentage (26.6) and assists per game (14.2).
 
In addition, the Spartans are tied for second in 3-point field goals (139) and rank second in total assists (411), third in defensive field goal percentage (35.4), fourth in free throw percentage (67.5), fifth in both blocks (116) and blocks per game (4.0), sixth in 3-point field goal percentage (29.3) and ninth in made field goals (643)
 
Several Spartans are on track to enter into the D-I single-season record book as well. Long is seventh in 3-point percentage (33.6) and tied for 10th in made treys (42). Dana Echols' mark of 4.8 assists per game ranks fourth, and she is also fourth in single-season assists (140). Croker is fourth in blocks per game (2.2) and in total blocks (57), and James is seventh in steals per game (2.3), eighth in free throw percentage (80.3), and 15th in scoring average (12.6). Lastly, De'Janaire Deas ranks ninth in field goal percentage (47.5).
 
At the career level, Croker continues to climb the total blocks ledger and is second with 150. She also ranks first in blocks per game with 2.8.
 
Long's 3-point shooting percentage of 37.3 is currently second all-time in NSU history, and her 124 made treys are the fourth most. The senior sharpshooter is also seventh in all-time 3-point attempts with 332 and is in a four-way tie for the 19th-most games played with 109.
 
Russell currently ranks 20th in all-time scoring average at 11.1 points per game. She also ranks 14th in field goal percentage (45.5) and is 16th in career 3-point field goal shooting (28.3).
 
What's Next?
Should the Spartans win on Thursday, they advance to the semifinals and will face either top-seeded North Carolina A&T or ninth-seeded N.C. Central on Friday at Noon. NSU was 0-1 against N.C. A&T in the regular season and was 1-0 against NCCU.