Monday, Feb. 23; 7 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
NSU vs. Delaware State, Joseph Echols Hall
TV: ESPNU | WatchESPN
Radio: Star 1310 AM, Live Audio | Hot 91.1 FM, Live Audio
Live Stats | Game Notes
NORFOLK, Virginia -- After breaking a two-game losing streak with a big victory at Coppin State, the Norfolk State men's basketball team will return to Norfolk for its last home game of the season against Delaware State at Joseph Echols Hall. NSU will honor six players for Senior Night and then take on the Hornets in a key MEAC matchup beginning at 7 p.m. The game will also be broadcast on ESPNU, the first NSU home game on television in four years.
The Spartans stand 10-3 in MEAC play and 17-11 overall. With three games left, second-place NSU has a two-game advantage in the loss column over three other teams, two of which the Spartans will play before the end of the regular season. UMES (9-5), Howard (8-5) and Delaware State (7-5) are all chasing NSU for the No. 2 seed in the MEAC tournament. The Spartans need to win two of their last three games of the year to avoid any tiebreaking scenarios for second in the MEAC.
Media Coverage
The game will be shown live on ESPNU with Dr. Jerry Punch and Stan Lewter on the call. It will mark NSU's first home game on television since playing South Carolina State on Jan. 24, 2011. Fans can also follow the game live through WatchESPN.
The contest with the Hornets will be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM and Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon and Terrell Ducre' on the call. Live audio is available through the Star 1310 website as well as through the Hot 91.1 website. Both feeds are available on smartphones through the Star 1310 website or through www.TuneIn.com or the TuneIn Radio App (search for "WNSB") for Hot 91.1.
Fans can also follow along with the live stats here.
Series History
NSU has won three in a row over Delaware State to extend its lead in the all-time series to 30-23 in a history that first began in 1962-63. The Hornets won 19-of-23 meetings prior to that three-game win streak for the Spartans.
About Delaware State
The Hornets defeated Hampton by three points on Saturday to improve to 13-14 overall and 7-5 in MEAC play. Amere May has scored 69 points in the last two games and ranks first in the conference with 19.8 points per game. Kendall Gray averages 12.2 points, 2.7 blocks and 12.0 rebounds, the latter second in the nation, while Tyshawn Bell also scores in double figures at 10.1 points to go with 5.3 rebounds. DSU averages slightly more than 70 points per game and shoots almost identical to opponents (41.4-41.6 overall, 33.9-33.6 from 3-point range). The Hornets do commit two more turnovers per game (13.7-11.7) than their opposition.
Last Time Out
NSU's offense caught fire in the second half on the way to a 99-81 victory over Coppin State on the road on Saturday. The Spartans scored 60 points in the second half after shooting 19-of-27 (70.4 percent) after intermission. NSU hit 34-of-55 for the game (61.8 percent) thanks to the combined efforts of D'Shon Taylor, RaShid Gaston and Malik Thomas. Gaston scored a career-high 30 points on 11-of-15 shooting with 10 rebounds, while Taylor added 23 points on 9-of-14 field goals with eight boards, three assists and two steals. Thomas tallied 21 points on 8-of-15 shooting, scoring all 21 in the second half. The Spartans also had a 36-24 edge on the glass and outscored CSU 44-26 in points in the paint. NSU also finished with the second-fewest fouls of the season (12).
Player Tidbits
Jeff Short
• Averaging 18.8 points, 53.7 percent shooting, 38.7 percent 3-point shooting, 81.6 percent free throw shooting, 4.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in MEAC games
• Averaging 3.3 assists last eight games and 5.1 rebounds in last seven games
• Shooting 23-of-25 from the free throw line the last three games, including career-high 12-of-14 at Morgan State
• Had a career-high seven assists at Coppin State
• Tallied at least 15 points in 21 of last 23 games; Scored 13 in each of the other two games
• Has scored in double figures in all but one game this year
• Shooting 116-of-202 (57.4 percent) from 2-point range
• Has sank a 3-pointer in all but three games this year
• Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in scoring (19.1), 5th in free throw percentage (83.3), 3-point field goal percentage (39.9) and minutes (33.6), 7th in 3-point field goals (2.1) and 8th in field goal percentage (50.0)
• Stands 27th in the nation in scoring (19.1); Also ranks in total points (17, 534), total field goals (28, 175), free throw percentage (70, 83.3), field goal percentage (84, 50.0), minutes (176, 33:34) and 3-point field goals per game (181, 2.11)
• Ranks 15th in the nation among guards in shooting percentage; Would rank 41st in 3-point field goal percentage but does not have enough makes on the year
• Stands 7th in NSU D-I single season records in points scored (534); Also stands tied for 1st in free throw percentage (.833), 5th in scoring average (19.1), 6th in free throws (125) and 3-point field goal percentage (.399), 8th in 3-point field goals (59), 10th in field goals (175), 11th in 3-point field goal attempts (148), 12th in free throw attempts (150) and 15th in field goal percentage (.500) and field goal attempts (350); Also ranks tied for 3rd in free throw percentage for overall single season records (See table page 6).
MEAC Standings
The Spartans stand alone in second place in the MEAC at 10-3, while North Carolina Central sits in first at 13-0 and is locked in for the No. 1 seed in the MEAC tournament. NSU has a two-game lead for second place in the MEAC, with UMES (9-5), Howard (8-5) and Delaware State (7-5) all sitting with five losses in conference play. UMES would own any head-to-head tiebreaker with NSU. The Spartans defeated Howard earlier this year and play the Bison again in a week. With a victory, DSU would own the tiebreaker with NSU. A Spartan win against the Hornets would guarantee NSU a top 4 seed in the tournament and thus a first-round bye.
Offense on Fire
NSU's 99-81 win over Coppin State on Saturday marked the most points the Spartans scored in a regulation game against a Division I opponent since a 102-86 victory over UMES on Feb. 12, 2000.
NSU also scored 60 points and shot 70.4 percent (19-of-27) in the second half. It marked the most points scored in a half since tallying 64 in the second half against Newberry last year and the most against a D-I opponent since posting 69 in the second half against Coppin State on Jan. 30, 2012. It marked the seventh time since 2002-03 that NSU has shot 70 percent in a half and the third time scoring at least 60 points.
Good Shootin'
For the fifth time this year, the seventh time in the past two seasons and the 11th time in the Division I era, NSU hit better than 60 percent from the floor, shooting 34-of-55 (61.8 percent) at Coppin State. It marked the eighth-best percentage in D-I history.
NSU hit a Division I record 65.9 percent (29-of-44) at South Carolina State. This year NSU also has posted D-I top-10 performances against Morgan State (63.3 percent, 31-of-49, 4th highest), at Savannah State (62.2 percent, 28-of-45, 6th highest), at Coppin State (61.8 percent, 34-of-55, 8th highest) and against North Carolina A&T (60.9 percent, 28-of-46, 9th highest).
Winning Big in the MEAC
Overall in conference play, NSU is averaging 74.7 points per game while shooting 52.0 percent overall and 36.7 percent from 3-point range. NSU has outrebounded foes by an average of 6.4 boards per contest while also holding them to 39.0 percent shooting and 28.3 percent from beyond the arc. Eight of NSU's 10 MEAC wins have been by double digits, the first time in the Division I era the Spartans have won eight conference games by 10 or more points and the first time overall since 1995-96.
By Mike Bello, Asst. SID
COURTESY NORFOLK STATE UNIVERSITY SPORTS INFORMATION
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