NORFOLK, Va. — The Norfolk State women's basketball team closes its season-opening four-game homestand on Thursday, Nov. 12, hosting No. 4 Duke at 7 p.m. at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall. The game is the first ever at Echols Hall against a Power Four or ACC program.
"This is the first time in the history of Echols Hall that a Power Four team has visited, and I think it's about relationships," head coach Jermaine Woods said. "When I got the job here, we reached out and said, 'Let's do a home-and-home.' They took care of us when we went down there, and Coach Lawson kept her word and agreed to come here. To have her at Echols, they get to see the HBCU culture. They get to see the band, our fans and our campus. The more people we can get on campus, the more they get to see the product we have at Norfolk State University."
HOW TO FOLLOW
Thursday's game will be broadcast on the MEAC Network, and live stats are available at NSUSpartans.com.
YOUTH NIGHT
Norfolk State invites youth teams and organizations to Thursday's game. Ten student tickets will be provided per chaperone and held at will call. Groups can reserve tickets by emailing Coach Woods at jawoods@nsu.edu.
LAST TIME OUT
Norfolk State (1-2) fell to Penn, 72-56, on Sunday at Echols Hall. Indiana State transfer Clemisha Prackett led the Spartans off the bench with 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting and a game-high eight rebounds. Alexis Davis added 11 points and seven rebounds while going 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. The Spartans made 13 of 14 free throws (92.9%) and outscored the Quakers 18-13 in the fourth quarter. Their bench outscored Penn's 24-14.
SPARTAN STORYLINES
Prackett leads Norfolk State at 12.0 points per game despite coming off the bench in all three games. She is shooting 54.2% from the field in 17.0 minutes per game. Sana'a Garrett is averaging 10.7 points and 4.0 assists, and Davis leads the team at 7.0 rebounds per game while shooting 53.8% from the field. The Spartans have outscored opponents 61-35 at the free-throw line this season.
Through three games, Norfolk State leads the MEAC in several categories. The Spartans attempt 28.7 free throws per game, which ranks 17th nationally, and make 20.3 per game, which ranks 20th. They also lead the league in free-throw percentage (70.9%), fewest turnovers (15.3 per game) and fewest fouls (16.7 per game). Defensively, Norfolk State ranks second in the MEAC in both scoring defense (62.0 points per game) and 3-point percentage defense (26.3%).
Garrett is tied for the MEAC lead with a 3.0 assist-to-turnover ratio and ranks second in the league in assists per game. Freshman Asia Keels ranks third in the conference with 3.7 steals per game. Davis has made 11 of 13 free throws (84.6%) this season, and LeAire Nicks leads the team with 1.0 blocks per game.
"It gives our young women the chance to see what a pro looks like," Woods said of facing Duke. "If you have pro aspirations, you get to play against pros. They have players who will be lottery picks and top-20 recruits on that team. If you want to be a pro, here you go."
SCOUTING DUKE
Duke enters as one of the nation's top programs. The Blue Devils are the reigning ACC regular-season and tournament champions, winning both titles in the same season for the first time since 2013. They have also reached the Elite Eight in back-to-back seasons. Duke opened the season ranked fourth in the AP Preseason Top 25 and returns three starters and nine players from last year's team. Head coach Kara Lawson is in her seventh season, and the Blue Devils were picked to win the ACC with 49 first-place votes.
Duke is 2-0. The Blue Devils opened with a 76-60 win over Green Bay while star forward Toby Fournier sat out with a lower-leg injury. On Sunday, a late cancellation of their scheduled game against North Texas left the Blue Devils scrambling for an opponent. They scheduled Florida Atlantic about two days before tipoff and won 78-56. Fournier returned with 10 points, five rebounds, two blocks and two steals in 19 minutes. Freshman Autumn Fleary led Duke with 14 points and four assists, and Aaliyah Crump added 13 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Duke scored 41 bench points and won the rebounding battle, 47-32.
Fournier is the headliner. The junior forward was a third-team AP and USBWA All-American last season, a two-time First-Team All-ACC selection and a member of the ACC All-Defensive Team. She was named to the Preseason All-ACC Team, while freshmen Fleary and Bella Flemings earned spots on the Preseason All-Freshman Team. Fournier was also named to the 2026-27 Wade Watch List.
Through two games, Duke is averaging 8.0 blocks per game, seventh nationally, and holds a +14.0 rebounding margin. Arianna Roberson leads the team with 3.0 blocks per game, and Crump averages 4.0 assists and 2.0 blocks.
SERIES HISTORY
Duke leads the all-time series 2-0, with both previous meetings played in Durham. The Blue Devils won 95-48 in 2001-02 and 83-32 last season, the first half of the current home-and-home series. Thursday marks Duke's first trip to Echols Hall.
"We prepare to win every game," Woods said. "We go in with game goals, and no matter if it's Duke or anybody else, we want to check those off. We're going to come out here, we're going to fight, we're going to give our best effort, and whatever the score is at the end, that's what it is."
UP NEXT
Norfolk State opens its road schedule Saturday, Nov. 14, at Hampton in the Battle of the Bay 6:00 p.m.
"We need you out here," Woods said. "We want everyone to understand the significance of this game, not just for Norfolk State University but for the 757. We're asking everyone to come out and pack Echols at 7 p.m. on November 12."
