NORFOLK, Va. - The Spartans will get a quick break from MEAC play this Wednesday when Norfolk State men's basketball hosts North Carolina Wesleyan for a non-conference game at 4 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall.

The Spartans carry a 5-4 record into the meeting following a weekend split with Morgan State. The Battling Bishops have not played since Dec. 9 and own a 2-2 overall record this year.

Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live through Spartan Showcase Video Streaming, with Ross Gordon and Woube Gebre on the call. Fans can also follow along with the live stats.

Series History
This will mark the first ever meeting between the two schools.

Scouting the Opponent
North Carolina Wesleyan, an NCAA Division III member, will be playing its fifth D-I team this season after losses to East Carolina (91-62) and Appalachian State (81-57) in early December. The Battling Bishops also lost to Elon and Coastal Carolina in November, but those games did not count toward their overall record. Despite those two D-I losses, they still average nearly 76 points per game and are +7 on the glass each time out. Damon McDowell (21.8 points) and Isaiah Lewis (19.0 points, 6.8 rebounds) lead the way for Wesleyan, which shoot 48 percent from the floor. Khalid Chavis is the team's third player in double figures with 10.0 points per game.

Last Time Out
NSU came away with an 89-85 win over Morgan State on Sunday at home after the Bears won the first game of the two-game weekend series, 78-74, on Saturday. The Spartans rallied from 19 down in the first game before coming up short. Kashaun Hicks finished with 20 points, and Jalen Hawkins added 14 points as the Spartans got as close as one late in the game before the Bears held on. Then in game 2, NSU erased a 12-point, second-half deficit in the win. The Spartans turned that double-digit hole into a 10-point lead late before MSU had six field goals, including three 3-pointers, in the last two minutes of play. J.J. Matthews led NSU with 21 points and seven rebounds. MSU lost despite a 30-point, 10-rebound game from De'Torrion Ware.

Quick Hits
 • Norfolk State's defense continues to rank highly in the nation. The Spartans now sit 21st in the nation in field goal percentage defense (38.7) and 39th in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.9). They sit first in the MEAC in scoring defense (71.4), field goal percentage defense, and 3-point field goal percentage defense, and second in blocks (3.7).
 • So far this year, six of NSU's nine opponents have been held to less than 40 percent overall shooting, and only one team has hit better than 42 percent (Morgan State, 49 percent in game 2). That contest is also the only time an opponent has shot better than 32 percent from deep (45 percent).
 • NSU currently sits 15th in the nation and first in the MEAC in 3-point shooting at 39.8 percent. Kashaun Hicks (16-of-33, 49 percent) and Daryl Anderson (14-of-25, 56.0 percent) are big reasons why. Anderson is first in the MEAC in 3-point shooting.
 • The Spartans are getting more than 30 points per game from their bench this year. They have outscored all nine opponents in bench points, and for the year they are outscoring teams 34.8-18.3 per game.
 • NSU has outscored seven of nine opponents in points off turnovers, and for the year the Spartans hold a 15.8-13.3 edge in points off turnovers. They rank in the top 90 in the nation in fewest turnovers per game (12.6).
 • Devante Carter is fifth in the MEAC in scoring (15.0), ninth in assists (3.3) and 10th in rebounds (5.3). He is one of two players in the league in the top 10 of all three along with MJ Randolph of Florida A&M.

Fan Attendance Update
Until further notice, NSU will not have fans in the stands. Echols Hall will be restricted to the team travel parties, essential personnel, media and a limited number of family members due to Governor Ralph Northam's Amendment to the Executive Order 67 that limited attendees at sports venues to 250 people.

The Norfolk State Athletics Department will sell season streaming packages through its website on Spartan Showcase Video Streaming for $50, covering both men's and women's home games. Individual game passes are also available for $10 per game. Fans can purchase cutouts through the NSU Ticket Office for $50 that will be displayed throughout the arena.

Ahead at the Half
The Spartans are 137-30 (82.0 winning percentage) since the start of the 2011-12 season when leading or tied at the half.

What Deficit?
NSU has erased a double-digit deficit in a victory 22 times since the start of the 2014-15 season, including twice this year against George Mason and Morgan State.