TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Chris McEachin led four Norfolk State players in double figures with 16 points to help Norfolk State win its school-record 12th MEAC game of the year and clinch a first-round MEAC Tournament bye by winning 79-70 at Florida A&M's Alfred Lawson Center on Monday night.

The Spartans, who won their third consecutive game, improved to 21-9 overall and 12-3 in the MEAC. The 12 MEAC wins are a new program best, topping the 2007-08 and 2004-05 teams which both won 11. The victory Monday also assures NSU of a top-three finish in the conference standings and a first-round MEAC Tournament bye.

There were three ties and five lead-changes in the first half, but NSU ended the period with a 12-4 spurt to take a 39-30 halftime lead. McEachin and Kyle O'Quinn scored eight points apiece in the half. But the story was the NSU defense, which held the Rattlers (8-21, 6-9) to 34.5 percent shooting (10-of-29) in the period.

The Rattlers closed to within four at 45-41 after a Yannick Crowder score with 14:21 left in the game. But NSU went on a 23-6 run over the next seven minutes to take a commanding 68-47 lead. Forward #A.J. Rogers scored seven points while both Pendarvis Williams and Rob Johnson# made 3-pointers in the outburst.

FAMU responded with a 12-0 run to cut its deficit back into double digits at 68-59 with 4:33 remaining in the game. But McEachin scored six straight points for NSU, hitting a free throw, a 3-pointer and a long two-point jumper, to push the Spartans' lead back into double digits and keep FAMU at bay.

Williams contributed 14 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals for NSU. Rogers was 5-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-3 from the foul line en route to a career-high 13 points off the Spartan bench. O'Quinn posted his 18th double-double of the year with 12 points and 10 rebounds, and he also swatted four shots and was credited with two steals.

Amin Stevens tallied 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Rattlers, who were held to 39 percent shooting on the night. Crowder had 15 points and eight boards, Avery Moore scored 11 points and Reggie Lewis had 10.

NSU closes its regular season with a 7:30 p.m. game Thursday night at North Carolina A&T in Greensboro, N.C. After Delaware State (11-4 MEAC) lost Monday to Morgan State, the Spartans are now alone in second place in the conference standings, one game behind first-place Savannah State (13-2). NSU would need a win over A&T and an SSU loss at Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday to earn a share of its first-ever MEAC regular-season title. The Spartans do hold the tie-breaker over SSU by virtue of beating the Tigers in December.