NORFOLK, Va. - The last MEAC game of the year for the Spartans takes place this Wednesday when the Norfolk State men's basketball team hosts Delaware State for Senior Day. A victory over the Hornets would guarantee NSU no worse than a share of first place in the MEAC Northern Division.

Tip off is set for 6 p.m. at Joseph Echols Hall in a game that was postponed at the end of January due to weather. At 7-4, NSU sits a half game ahead of both Morgan State and Coppin State (6-4 each) in the standings. CSU has just two games left with Delaware State this weekend, while this past weekend's MSU-DSU series was postponed. A make-up date has yet to be announced.

The Spartans won the MEAC regular season title in 2012-13 (16-0) and 2018-19 (14-2). This is the first season since NSU joined the league that the MEAC has played with divisions.

Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on WNSB Blazin' Hot 91 FM with Ross Gordon on the call. The audio feed is available through www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB").

Fans can follow along with the live stats and the live video feed. The video feed also carries the radio broadcast. 

Senior Day
NSU will honor five seniors prior to the game in Devante Carter, Kashaun Hicks, Efstratios Kalogerias, J.J. Matthews and Mustafa Lawrence. Carter and Kalogerias both arrived at NSU prior to last season from junior college. Hicks also came in the same season as those two after playing at Central Connecticut State. Like Hicks, Matthews and Lawrence were also Division I transfers, as both joined the program for this season.

NSU's sixth senior, Kyonze Chavis, was honored at last year's Senior Day.

Series History
The Spartans ran their win streak to nine over Delaware State after a 94-66 win on Jan. 30, and they now own a 40-24 lead in the all-time series with DSU that began in 1962-63. NSU has won 13 of the last 14 meetings, with the only loss coming on the road by three points, 67-64, on Feb. 20, 2016. The Spartans have won six straight at home versus DSU, with the last loss coming in 2011-12. 

Delaware State at a Glance
The Hornets are coming off a 75-58 win over St. Mary's College on Sunday. They now sit 2-12 overall  but winless in conference play at 0-7. DSU will play two games at home against Coppin State this weekend, while their games this past weekend against MSU were postponed. Zach Kent had 19 points and 11 rebounds in Sunday's win, with Pinky Wiley (16) and Myles Carter (14) also reaching double figures in scoring. Carter leads the team with 15.1 points and 5.0 rebounds, and Wiley sits at 12.4 points with Kent at 10.8. The Hornets score 71 points per game but also give up nearly 86. Teams are shooting nearly 47 percent against the Hornets.

Last Time Out
Norfolk State last played on Feb. 13 and 14, sweeping Morgan State on the Bears' home court, 74-69 and 68-65. Devante Carter scored 20 points in the first game, with Joe Bryant Jr. and Kashaun Hicks each tallying 18 points. The rest of the team had a combined 18 points as NSU sank eight 3-pointers while overcoming 18 turnovers and 27 fouls. In the second game, Carter was the only Spartan player in double figures 19 points, six rebounds and five assists. The Spartans shot 44 percent and erased a nine-point second-half deficit to earn the sweep. De'Torrion Ware had 25 points in the first game to lead Morgan State, and Troy Baxter added 21 in the second contest.

Quick Hits
 • Norfolk State now sits 62nd in field goal percentage defense (41.0) and 86th in the nation in turnover margin (+1.8). They sit first in the MEAC in field goal percentage defense and defensive rebound percentage (71.8), second in rebounding (36.9), rebound margin (+0.3) and scoring margin (+2.6), and third in scoring defense (71.8) and opponent rebounding (36.6).
 • NSU currently sits 64th in the nation and second in the MEAC in 3-point shooting at 36.5 percent, a pace that is just behind the school's D-I record of 36.6 percent set in 2018-19. The top 3-point scorers are shooting better than 40 percent in Daryl Anderson (26-of-53, 49.1%) and Kashaun Hicks (29-of-68, 42.6%). Jalen Hawkins (16-of-39, 41.0%) is fourth on the team in makes as well. Anderson ranks first in the MEAC in 3-point shooting. The Spartans are also second in the MEAC in scoring (74.4), third in offensive rebound percentage (28.6) and free throw percentage (70.3).
 • Devante Carter is averaging 20.2 points his last six games. That includes a career-high 31 points against Coppin State (2/7). He ranks in the top 10 in the MEAC in points, rebounds and assists, one of three players in the league to do so along with MJ Randolph of Florida A&M and Anthony Tarke of Coppin State.
 • The team is up to 74.4 points per game, which would rank as the most since 1999-2000 (76.0) and the third-most in its D-I history. NSU is also currently on pace to finish second in its D-I history in defensive rebounds per game (26.47), fewest turnovers per game (12.95) and turnover margin (1.79), fourth in scoring margin (+2.6), and fifth in free throw percentage (70.3).
 • NSU has used nine different starting lineups this year, with the starting five of Matthews-Jenkins-Bryant-Chavis-Carter used the most at five times.
 • The Spartans are getting more than 30 points per game from their bench this year. They have outscored opponents or been even in bench points in 18 of 19 games. For the year they are outscoring teams 30.5-18.5 per game.
 • NSU has outscored 15 of 19 opponents in points off turnovers, and for the year the Spartans hold a 17.2-13.4 edge in points off turnovers.
 • In nine of the last 11 games, the Spartans have scored more points in the paint than the opposition.
 • This year, the Spartans have had the same amount or fewer fouls than the opposition in 13 of 19 games. Last year it was the opposite, as the Spartans had the same amount or more fouls in 22 of 31 games.
 • NSU is becoming adept at second half surges. This season, the team has scored the same amount or more points in second halves than first halves in 12 of 19 games. The Spartans are averaging +4.7 more points in second halves (39.2-34.5).

Fan Attendance Update
NSU will not have fans in the stands this season. Echols Hall will be restricted to the team travel parties, essential personnel, media and a limited number of family members and NSU students 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 streaming passes for $10 per game through its website on Spartan Showcase Video Streaming.

Winning Record
Counting this season, NSU has had nine non-losing seasons in the last 10 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.

Conference Standings
Including this season, the Spartans have finished fourth or better in the MEAC standings in 14 of the last 15 seasons, including 10 straight years. Not counting this year, only 11 other teams in Division I had a longer streak than NSU of finishing in the top 4 of their respective conference standings.

Conference Streak
Counting this season, NSU has posted 23 straight seasons with a .500 or better conference record in its Division I era. In fact, in Norfolk State's 66 seasons in either the EIAC, CIAA or the MEAC, the program has had just one losing conference record (9-10 in the CIAA in 1990-91).

NSU ranked seventh in the nation for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records in a row in D-I prior to the season. NSU has posted 29 straight .500 or better conference records, dating back to that 1990-91 campaign.