NORFOLK, Va. – Senior Jermaine Bishop tallied a season-high 26 points, and the Spartans sent their seniors out in style with an 89-59 win over Howard men's basketball on Saturday night at Joseph Echols Hall.
 
Bishop sank six 3-pointers and made 8-of-15 from the field with four assists as NSU completed an undefeated MEAC home slate this season for just the second time ever. The Spartans improved to 10-4 in the league, 14-15 overall, and Bishop finished one point short of tying his career high.
 
He had six of the team's 12 3-pointers as NSU shot 44 percent from deep (12-of-27) and was +10 in turnover margin for the night. The Spartans outscored Howard 21-6 in points off turnovers and 16-2 in fastbreak points.
 
The Bison dropped to 2-27 overall, 0-14 in the MEAC. The Spartans, on the other hand, maintained third place in the MEAC, one loss behind North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central for first.
 
A crowd of more than 4,100 on Senior Night saw NSU score 51 points in the first half, building a 23-point lead at the break. The team was never threatened in the game, never letting go of a double-digit lead that came with more than 10 minutes to go in the first half.
 
Aside from Bishop, sophomore Joe Bryant Jr. added 15 points on 5-of-10 shooting with six rebounds. Junior Devante Carter was the only other player in double figures with 10 points (4-of-8 shooting), six assists, and four rebounds.
 
Bishop's 3-pointer seven minutes into the game put NSU up 17-9, and Carter's 3-point play gave the Spartans a 10-point edge with 10:47 on the clock. It was part of a 14-2 run that made it 35-16 with 8:52 left in the half.
 
Bryant hit one of his three 3-pointers to cap it off. Carter later found junior Efstratios Kalogerias for a fastbreak bucket to get the advantage past 20 still with more than five minutes to go. Layups by Bishop and another honoree on Senior Night, Kyonze Chavis, gave NSU its 23-point halftime margin.
 
The Spartans were 8-of-14 from deep in the first period.
 
In the second half, the Bison only got as close as 17 with 15:45 to go on a layup by Wayne Bristol Jr. Two free throws from Bishop put the Spartan ahead by 24 at 66-42, and senior Steven Whitley had a fastbreak dunk and later a free throw for a 76-47 lead with 7:04 on the clock.
 
Whitley and freshman Yoro Sidibe capped off the win with fastbreak dunks in the last few minutes.
 
Along with Chavis and Bishop, Whitley was the third player honored before the game. He finished with eight points, five assists and four rebounds. Chavis added six points and five boards as well. Junior Spirit Ricks contributed eight points and a team-high seven rebounds, and the Spartans had 20 assists on their 31 field goals.
 
Nate Garvey led Howard with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including four of the team's eight 3-pointers. Bristol was the only other player in double figures with 11 points. The Bison shot 36 percent for the night, including just 31 percent in the second half.
 
Like Howard, NSU shot better in the first half (51 percent) than the second (35 percent).
 
NSU also went undefeated at home during MEAC play in 2012-13.
 
The Spartans will play their last two games of the regular season on the road, beginning on Monday at Delaware State at 7:30 p.m.