NORFOLK, Va. - Back at home, the Norfolk State men's basketball team will look to get back in the win column when the Spartans host Delaware State this Saturday. Tip-off against the Hornets is set for 6:30 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.

NSU is idle on Monday, its last off day during the rest of the regular season MEAC schedule. The Spartans are looking to bounce back after dropping two games on the road last weekend to North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central. They are currently tied with NCCU at 6-2 in the MEAC, behind first-place A&T (8-1).

Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Woube Gebre on the call. The audio feed is 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
The Spartans have won the last four meetings with Delaware State, whose last win came at home by a 67-64 margin during the 2015-16 season. The Spartans have also won the last four with DSU at home. The Hornets last won at Echols Hall during the 2011-12 season in overtime, 73-63. NSU leads the all-time series, 35-24.

Scouting the Opponent
The Hornets are coming off a 68-66 loss at home on Monday against Maryland Eastern Shore, dropping them to 2-5 in the MEAC and 3-18 overall. Their two conference wins came at home against North Carolina Central (68-66) and Coppin State (77-68).

DSU dropped all 12 Division I non-conference games and also fell to NAIA member Washington Adventist by two points earlier this year. Despite all that, the Hornets still average 70 points per game. They give up 82, however, including a pair of 100-point opponent performances by Georgia and Virginia Tech in blowout losses.

The team is led by the MEAC's top scorer, John Crosby, who averages 20.4 points per game. Ameer Bennett (11.0 points, 6.5 rebounds) and John Stansbury (8.8 points, 4.8 rebounds) are next in line, while Pinky Wiley tallies 7.2 points with 3.5 assists.

Last Time Out
North Carolina Central fell behind by 15 in the second half, but the Eagles eventually went on a 16-0 run to defeat NSU 69-63 on Monday night at NCCU's McDougald-McLendon Arena. The Spartans led by 10 with nine minutes remaining, but they did not score for the next eight minutes as the Eagles surged ahead.

Norfolk State shot 1-of-12 with four turnovers in the final nine minutes of play. The Spartans still made 46 percent from the floor thanks to a 61 percent first-half effort. Devante Carter totaled 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, and Tyrese Jenkins (12 points) and Jermaine Bishop (10 points, seven rebounds, seven assists) also reached double figures.

For NCCU, C.J. Keyser finished with 23 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Jibri Blount had a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds as NCCU shot 50 percent from the field with a 32-22 advantage in points in the paint.

Player Facts
Steven Whitley
 • Ranks 8th all-time at NSU in assists (365) and assist average (4.06), and 15th in steals (133); Needs 30 more points to reach 1,000 for his NSU career
 • Stands 5th in the MEAC in in assist-turnover ratio (1.3), 6th in assists (3.3), 15th in steals (1.3), 14th in field goal % (43.7), and 19th in scoring (10.4)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 11th in assists (2.9) and 27th in scoring (9.6)
 • Ranks 15th in NSU Division I season records in assist average (3.30)
 • In NCAA D-I active career leaders, ranks No. 36 in steals (157), No. 44 in assist-turnover ratio (1.34), No. 46 in assists (402), No. 82 in games played (121), No. 148 in rebounds (524), and No. 239 in points (1,072)

Jermaine Bishop
 • Has scored in double figures in 9 straight games, averaging 16.6 points on 51-of-110 shooting, 29-of-66 from deep
 • Handed out season-high 7 assists at North Carolina Central
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in 3-point field goals (2.7), 4th in 3-point field goal % (38.8), 7th in scoring (13.9) and minutes (32.6), and 14th in assists (2.3)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 1st in free throw % (85.0), 2nd in 3-point field goals (3.1), 3rd in 3-point field goal % (43.1), 6th in scoring (16.5), and 10th in minutes (33.5)
 • Stands No. 48 in the nation in 3-point field goal % (38.8) and No. 54 in 3-point field goals (2.70)
 • Ranks 12th in NSU Division I season records in 3-pointers (62)
 • In NCAA D-I active career leaders, ranks No. 395 in 3-point field goals (106)

Joe Bryant Jr.
 • Grabbed season-best 6 rebounds in career-high 37 minutes at North Carolina A&T
 • Made his 1st 20 free throws of the season and 48 out of 50 so far (96.0%); Does not have enough attempts to qualify nationally; National leader is at 94.4%
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in free throw % (96.0), 6th in steals (1.6), 11th in 3-point field goals (1.6) and 3-point field goal % (33.3), and 14th in scoring (12.2)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 7th in steals (1.6), 10th in 3-point field goals (1.6), 13th in assists (2.8), 14th in 3-point field goal % (32.5), and 19th in scoring (12.1)
 • Stands No. 140 in the nation in steals (1.59)

Devante Carter
 • Ranks 4th in the MEAC in steals (1.8), 6th in field goal % (50.0), 8th in assists (2.9), 14th in rebounding (5.3) and defensive rebounds (4.1), and 29th in scoring (8.8)
 • In MEAC games only, stands 5th in assist-turnover (1.5), 6th in steals (1.7), 9th in assists (3.0), 13th in rebounding (5.8), and 15th in offensive rebounds (1.8) and defensive rebounds (4.0)
 • Stands No. 83 in the nation in steals (1.80)

Chris Ford
 • Ranks 6th in the MEAC in blocks (1.2)
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 10th in blocks (0.7) and 14th in offensive rebounds (1.9)
 • Stands No. 156 in the nation in blocks (1.18)

Kashaun Hicks
 • In MEAC games only, ranks 8th in 3-point field goal % (40.0)

Spirit Ricks
 • Tied career high by playing in 28 minutes at North Carolina Central, shooting career-best 2-of-5 from deep

Yoro Sidibe
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC in offensive rebounds (1.8)

Efstratios Kalogerias
 • Tied career-high with 2 assists at North Carolina Central

Tyrese Jenkins
 • Averaging 9.4 points last 5 games on 14-of-24 shooting, 7-of-13 from deep, with 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists
 • Scored 12 points in career-high 27 minutes, with career-best 2 blocks, at North Carolina Central
 • Named MEAC Rookie of the Week on Jan. 21 and again on Feb. 4

Recent Trends
 • NSU's scoring margin of +4.6 is on pace to be its best in its Division I era, topping last year's mark of +4.1. Its current field goal % defense of 40.5 and 3-point field goal % defense of 29.7 are currently third, and its 70.0 free throw shooting percentage and 65.2 scoring defense are the fourth-best.
 • The Spartans are shooting 48.5 percent (110-of-227) from the floor the last four games, including 38.3 percent (31-of-81) from 3-point range.
 • They are averaging 8.2 3-pointers during the last nine games. In the last seven games, opponents have shot just 27.5 percent from deep (46-of-167).
 • The Spartans are a total +45 on the glass during its last eight games in MEAC play (+5.6 per game).
 • NSU has outscored opponents in points off turnovers in 10 of the last 14, including five of the last six. The Spartans have outscored or been even with opponents in second-chance points in seven straight and nine of the last 11 games.
 • The Spartans have averaged 32.0 bench points the last five games and 13.3 fastbreak points the last three games.
 • The Spartans are outscoring teams in every specialty stat category: points off turnovers (17.2-14.2), second-chance points (10.3-8.7), points in the paint (27.6-25.7), fastbreak points (10.3-8.2), and bench points (24.0-17.3).
 • The guard foursome of Bishop, Bryant, Whitley and Carter have combined for 57 of the team's 69 double-digit scoring performances this year.
 • NSU has used nine different starting lineups this year, including seven different lineups during an eight-game span from Dec. 1-Jan. 4.
 • In 17 of the Spartans' 23 games this year, they have scored the same amount or more points in the second half than the first (+5.0 points per second half), including six of the last seven games. They did the same in 28 of 36 games last year, when they averaged 8.1 points more in second halves than first halves. Opponents have done the same in 17 of 23 games this year, including each of the last 13.
 • The Spartans also shoot better in second halves (44.0-41.1) and have a better turnover margin as well (+1.3 - -0.1). Opponents shoot better in second halves too (42.9-38.1). For NSU on the glass, it's the opposite, as its rebounding margin is +1.9 in first halves but +0.3 in second halves.
 • The Spartans have also had the same amount or more fouls than the opposition in 17 of 23 games this season (+1.8 in fouls per game). They did the same in 26 of 36 games last year (+2.2).

MEAC Rankings
The Spartans rank 1st in the MEAC in scoring margin (+4.6), and field goal % defense (40.5). They are also second in scoring defense (65.2), 3-point field goal % (33.3), opponent rebounding (34.1), rebounding margin (+2.3), turnover margin (+1.17), offensive rebound % (31.8), defensive rebound % (71.6), and 3-pointers (7.5), and third in 3-point field goal % defense (29.7), assists (13.1), and assist-turnover ratio (0.9).

In MEAC games only, they stand first in 3-point field goal % (37.2), second in scoring defense (64.8), opponent rebounding (31.3), rebounding margin (+5.6), assists (14.1), assist-turnover ratio (0.9), defensive rebound % (71.8), offensive rebound % (35.5), and 3-pointers (8.4), and third in scoring offense (74.9), scoring margin (+10.1), free throw % (71.4), field goal % (45.3), and 3-point field goal % defense (27.5).

National Rankings
On a national level, Norfolk State stands No. 40 in 3-point field goal % defense (29.7), No. 42 in turnovers forced (15.87), No. 69 in field goal % defense (40.5), No. 76 in scoring defense (65.2), No. 82 in steals (7.5), No. 84 in offensive rebounds (11.26), No. 104 in turnover margin (+1.2), No. 116 in rebound margin (+2.3), No. 127 in scoring margin (+4.6), and No. 132 in rebounds per game (36.43).

Professional Spartans
Former Spartan Kyle O'Quinn is now in his eighth year in the NBA and the first with the Philadelphia 76ers. He became NSU's first NBA player in 25 years after getting drafted in the second round in 2012 by the Orlando Magic.

Aside from O'Quinn, NSU had 14 other players competing professionally at some point this year. Pendarvis Williams (France) and Anell Alexis and Ed Seward (Germany) were in Europe, while Chris McEachin was in Iraq. Hefeng Sun (China) and D'Shon Taylor (Bahamas) were competing in their home countries.

Eight other players who finished their careers recently at NSU were also playing professionally. Jordan Butler (Bulgaria), Stavian Allen (Bulgaria, Bosnia), Jonathan Wade (Kosovo), Preston Bungei (Bosnia) and Alex Long (North Macedonia) were in the Baltics. Derrik Jamerson Jr. (Austria), Kyle Williams (Iceland, Spain), and Dan Robinson (El Salvador) also competed this year.