NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team hits the road this weekend, after playing three consecutive games at Echols Hall.
 
The Spartans (19-8, 8-3 MEAC) take on South Carolina State (5-22, 2-9) on Saturday at 4 p.m. The game will take place at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center, a venue Norfolk State hasn't lost in since the 2013-14 season.
 
Norfolk State heads straight to North Carolina Central (14-11. 7-4) for a Monday night matchup at McDougald-McLendon Arena. Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m.
 
Both games will be broadcast on WNSB Hot 91.1 FM.
 
Last Time Out
 
Norfolk State saw its six-game winning streak come to an end on Monday, falling 69-62 to Coppin State in the team's final home contest of the season. Prior to opening tip, the Spartans honored six players for senior night: Yoro Sidibe, Chris Ford, Cahiem Brown, Dana Tate Jr., Kris Bankston, and Joe Bryant Jr.
 
The Spartans opened strong with an all-senior starting five, jumping out to a 10-0 lead. Coppin State opened the second half with a 15-2 run that helped the Eagles take a double digit lead.
 
Tate and Brown led the Spartans with 11 points each, with the former pulling in eight rebounds as well. Brown's performance marked his fifth straight game scoring in the double-digits, while Bryant's streak went to 19 after he tallied 10 points as well.
 
Bankston Earns BOXTOROW Honors
 
Norfolk State graduate forward Kris Bankston was named HBCU National Player of the Week by BOXTOROW on Monday afternoon after dominant performances against Delaware State and Morgan State.
The Little Rock, Ark. Native averaged 22.5 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 5.5 blocks per game over two contests, shooting 18-of-22 from the field (81.8 percent) and 9-of-10 from the free throw line (90 percent).
 
Scouting the Bulldogs/Eagles
 
After struggling early in conference play, losing its first seven league games, South Carolina State has begun to find its stride, winning two of its last four contests. One of those two recent losses came by a single point, falling to Delaware State on a pair of free throws in the final 10 seconds of regulation.
 
The Bulldogs lean on a well-rounded pair of scorers on offense, with Rakeim Gary and Lesown Hallums Jr. averaging 11.6 and 11.4 points per game, respectively. Raquan Brown also made a strong appearance on Monday, posting 14 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
 
North Carolina Central sits a game behind Norfolk State in the MEAC standings, making Monday's matchup pivotal for MEAC Tournament seeding as the regular season winds down. Since losing to NSU at Echols Hall on Jan. 30, the Eagles have reeled off four consecutive wins.
 
The Eagles defeated Maryland Eastern Shore 68-63 on Monday, tying the Hawks in the MEAC standings with the result. Justin Wright scored 19 points to lead NCCU to victory, pulling down seven rebounds. He played all 40 minutes alongside teammate Eric Boone, who put on a superb display dishing 12 assists while gathering nine rebounds.
 
Last Meeting/All-Time Series
 
NSU leads the all-time series with South Carolina State 30-18, coming out triumphant in the last 11 matchups. The Bulldogs' last victory against NSU came in the 2015-16 MEAC Tournament at the Norfolk Scope Arena, a 67-65 thriller.
 
Norfolk State handily defeated South Carolina State in the school's first meeting of the season, winning 82-68 at Echols Hall. Joe Bryant Jr. and Dana Tate Jr. fueled the Spartans to victory, scoring 23 and 21 points, respectively, with Bryant adding nine rebounds.
 
Just two days after beating South Carolina State at home, the Spartans faced North Carolina Central at 7 p.m. in a nationally-televised matchup on ESPNU. The teams traded leads late in the second half, with the Spartans ultimately prevailing 77-71 in front of a thunderous Spartan crowd.
 
Tate continued his hot streak with 21 points, shooting 7-of-11 from the floor (63.6 percent) and 5-of-7 from behind the arc (71.4 percent). Bryant added an efficient 18 points, putting the game away with a tough basket in the final minute.
 
Norfolk State leads the all-time series with North Carolina Central 33-17, with the Eagles holding a slim 6-4 advantage in the last 10 meetings. If Norfolk State can beat the Eagles on Monday, it'll mark the first time NSU has ever defeated NCCU twice in a single regular season.
 
Tests With the Top
To be the best you have to compete against the best, and the Spartans have done just that this year, facing three teams ranked in the AP Top 10 in a span of one month.
 
The Spartans battled Baylor in their third matchup of the season (ranked No.  5 at the time), before facing UCLA just two days later (No. 8). NSU played Houston on Nov. 29, the number-one ranked team in the country.
 
Dominance Against CAA
Of Norfolk State's seven nonconference wins against Division I opponents this year, five of them came against CAA teams (Monmouth, Hampton (2x), William & Mary, North Carolina A&T), going undefeated against the conference this season.
 
The Spartans also picked up victories against SWAC (Alabama A&M) and MAC (Bowling Green) opponents.
 
Neutral Site, Bright Lights, No Problem
Norfolk State has played in three regular season multi-team events this year, owning a 4-0 record during those showcase opportunities.
 
The Spartans defeated Alabama A&M 89-83 at the ATL Has Something to Say HBCU Challenge in Atlanta, Ga., before besting Hampton (78-66) and North Carolina A&T (70-66) at the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge Hosted by Chris Paul.
 
The Pirates and Spartans met once again for another Battle of the Bay matchup on Feb. 4 for the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic Hosted by Michael B. Jordan. Norfolk State swept the season series with an 83-71 victory at the Prudential Center in front of nearly 13,500 fans.
 
What Deficit?
NSU has erased a double-digit deficit in a victory 25 times since the start of the 2014-15 season, including in two consecutive matchups this year against William & Mary (Dec. 10) and Bowling Green (Dec. 14).
 
Protecting the Rock
The Spartans are 11-1 this year when recording more steals than their opponent, and 15-1 when recording fewer turnovers.
 
Ahead at the Half
The Spartans are 16-3 when ahead at the half this season. Under Jones, NSU has compiled a 138-30 record when leading at the half.
 
Predictable Numbers
Norfolk State is 14-0 this year when shooting a higher percentage on 3-pointers than its opponent.
 
Quick Hits
• NSU has the best overall record of any MEAC team (19-8) this year, with 17-11 Howard owning the next strongest overall win-loss record.
• Kris Bankston is shooting 69.7 percent from the floor this season, after breaking the Norfolk State single-season field goal percentage record last year on a 71.1 percent clip. Bankston's current mark leads the conference.
• Joe Bryant Jr. ranks fourth in the MEAC with 17.4 points per game, while adding 3.4 assists per game (sixth in the MEAC) and 2.3 3-pointers per contest (second). Cahiem Brown is seventh in the MEAC with 3.0 assists per game.
• Bankston's 7.1 rebounds per game rank third in the MEAC, while his 1.6 blocks per game stand second in the conference.
• Chris Ford ranks seventh in the MEAC in blocks per game (0.8). His seven blocks against William & Mary on Dec. 10 are tied for the most by any MEAC player this season, with North Carolina Central's Brendan Medley-Bacon also recording seven blocks against Delaware State.
• Norfolk State was predicted to finish first in the MEAC this season in the conference's annual preseason poll, with 127 points and 15 first-place votes. North Carolina Central followed closely behind in second with 102 points, while South Carolina State was picked seventh at 30 points.
• Three Norfolk State players were selected to Preseason All-MEAC Teams: Joe Bryant Jr. (First Team, Player of the Year), Kris Bankston (First Team), and Dana Tate Jr. (Third Team). North Carolina Central had four selections: Justin Wright (First Team), Eric Boone (Second Team), Kris Monroe (Second Team), and Brandan Medley-Bacon (Third Team). Rahsaan Edwards (Third Team) represented South Carolina State.
• Joe Bryant Jr. ranks first in the MEAC with a free throw percentage of 84.4. Last year, Bryant led the MEAC and set Norfolk State's single-season record for the category (91.5).
• As a team, Norfolk State ranks first in the MEAC in free throw percentage (74.7).
• Norfolk State leads the MEAC in assist to turnover ratio at 1.06. Bryant ranks second in the category individually (1.6).
• NSU ranks second in the MEAC with a field goal percentage of 47.9, while also sitting atop the conference in defensive field goal percentage (40.7). North Carolina Central stands first in field goal percentage and second in defensive field goal percentage.