Norfolk State Men's Basketball
Monday, March 2, 7:30 p.m.
NSU at Howard, Burr Gymnasium
Radio: Star 1310 AM, Live Audio | Hot 91.1 FM, Live Audio
Live Video | Game Notes

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Norfolk State men's basketball team needs one more win in its last two games to lock up the No. 2 seed in the MEAC tournament. Its first shot will come on Monday night at Howard when the Spartans face the Bison at 7:30 p.m. at Burr Gymnasium.

The Spartans stand 11-3 in MEAC play and 18-11 overall. Second-place NSU has a two-game advantage in the loss column over  UMES, which owns a 10-5 conference mark. The Spartans can also lock up the No. 2 seed with a UMES loss on Thursday against Morgan State. A UMES win coupled with two NSU losses to close out the regular season would give the Spartans the No. 3 seed. Along with the contest at Howard, the Spartans also play at Hampton on Thursday.

Media Coverage
The contest with the Bison will be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM and Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon 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 video stream here.

Series History
NSU has won 10 in a row over Howard to extend its lead in the all-time series to 39-9. The Spartans took the first meeting this year on Feb. 7 by a 72-69 score in a game that featured more than 40 fouls and 40 turnovers. It also marked the third time in four meetings NSU won by six or fewer points.

About Howard
The Bison could not hit their free throws late, and Hampton came back in the last minute to down Howard by a 68-67 score on Saturday at Burr Gymnasium. That dropped the Bison's record to 15-14 overall and 9-6 in MEAC play. On the season, James Carlton leads the way in both scoring (16.7) and rebounding (7.9). James Daniel III averages 16.3 points, while James Miller completes the trio of scorers at 11.7 points. No other player averages even five points a contest for Howard. The Bison hit better than 43 percent overall but less than 30 percent from the 3-point line. They also commit close to 16 turnovers per game while also averaging close to eight steals.

Last Time Out
NSU was down by 14 in the first half but outscored Delaware State 20-11 to close out the first half and 17-2 to start the second on the way to a 81-71 victory over the Hornets on Monday night in front of an ESPNU audience at Joseph Echols Hall. The Spartans shot better than 57 percent in the second half and outscored DSU by 15 after halftime on Senior Night. Jeff Short had 17 in the second stanza and 25 for the game. D'Shon Taylor added 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting with three rebounds, two assists, two blocks and two steals. RaShid Gaston tallied 16 points and 13 rebounds. The Spartans shot 28-of-54 (51.9 percent) for the game and 20-of-26 from the free throw line. Amere May led DSU with 26 points, including 20 in the first half.

Player Tidbits
Jeff Short
 • Averaging 19.2 points, 54.0 percent shooting, 38.5 percent 3-point shooting, 83.3 percent free throw shooting, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists in MEAC games
 • Averaging 3.1 assists last nine games and 5.3 rebounds in last eight games
 • Shooting 31-of-33 from the free throw line the last four games, including career-high 12-of-14 at Morgan State
 • Tallied at least 15 points in 22 of last 24 games; Scored 13 in each of the other two games
 • 13th 20-point game of season with 25 vs. Delaware State
 • Has scored in double figures in all but one game this year
 • Shooting 123-of-213 (57.7 percent) from 2-point range
 • Has sank a 3-pointer in all but three games this year
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in scoring (19.3) and free throw percentage (84.2), 4th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.7), 5th in minutes (33.7), 7th in 3-point field goals (2.1) and in field goal percentage (50.3)
 • Stands 23rd in the nation in scoring (19.3); Also ranks in total points (18, 559), total field goals (30, 183), free throw percentage (57, 84.2), field goal percentage (71, 50.3), minutes (173, 33:41) and 3-point field goals per game (197, 2.07)
 • Ranks 11th 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 6th in NSU D-I single season records in points scored (559); Also stands 1st in free throw percentage (.842), 5th in scoring average (19.3), 6th in free throws (133) and 3-point field goal percentage (.397), 8th in 3-point field goals (60), 9th in field goals (183) and free throw attempts (158), 11th in 3-point field goal attempts (151), 12th in field goal attempts (364) and 14th in field goal percentage (.503); Also ranks tied for 2nd in free throw percentage for overall single season records (See table page 6)
 • Stands 19th in NSU career records with 60 3-point field goals (See table page 7)

RaShid Gaston
 • Averaging 17.5 points, 9.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.2 blocks and shooting 67.3 percent in MEAC games
 • Averaging 20.0 points and 8.5 rebounds while shooting 30-of-45 overall and 20-of-29 from the free throw line in the last four games
 • Recorded 15th double-double of season with 16 points and 13 rebounds against Delaware State
 • Named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week on Feb. 23 after posting 30 points, 10 rebounds and one block at Coppin State
 • Third defensive player of the week honor and fourth weekly MEAC honor overall this year
 • 82-of-122 field goals (67.2 percent) last 12 games
 • 17 10+ rebound games this season
 • Has at least one block in 15 straight games
 • Has scored in double figures in nine straight and 12 of the last 13 games
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in rebounds (9.6), defensive rebounds (6.4) and field goal percentage (62.0), 4th in offensive rebounds (3.2), 7th in scoring (15.3) and 8th in blocks (1.2)
 • Stands 5th in the nation in field goal percentage (62.0) and 9th in double-doubles (15); Also ranks in total rebounds (32, 260), rebounding (24, 9.6), defensive rebounds (32, 6.44), offensive rebounds (42, 3.19), scoring (177, 15.3) and blocks (190, 1.22)
 • Ranks 30th in NCAA Division I in career field goal percentage (.571), 32nd in double-doubles (20), 41st in rebounding average (7.5) and 122nd in rebounds (578)
 • Stands 6th in NSU records with a .571 career shooting percentage and 17th in blocks (63) (See table page 7)
 • Ranks 3rd in NSU D-I single season records in field goal percentage (.620), 4th in rebounding average (9.6), 5th in rebounds (260), 10th in blocks (33) and 11th in field goals (171); Also ranks 6th in field goal percentage for overall single season records (See table page 6)

Jamel Fuentes
 • Averaging 6.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and shooting 7-of-12 in the last three games
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in assists (4.3) and 6th in assist-turnover ratio (1.9)
 • Stands 87th in the nation in assists (4.3) and 125th in assist-turnover ratio (1.94)
 • Ranks 15th in NCAA Division I in career assists (534), 24th in assist-turnover ratio (1.91) and 62nd in assist average (4.17)
 • Ranks 2nd all-time at NSU in assists with 534 (See table page 7) behind Billy Walker (1980-85)
 • Stands 3rd in games played (128) at NSU and 10th in career steals (146)
 • Ranks 4th in NSU D-I single season records with a 4.29 assist average and 4th in assists (120) (See table page 6)

D'Shon Taylor
 • Averaging 14.8 points, 5.6 rebounds and shooting 49.0 percent overall and 36.8 percent from 3-point range in MEAC games
 • Averaging 19.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.3 blocks while shooting 18-of-36 overall and 17-of-21 at the free throw line in the last three games
 • Averaging 5.9 rebounds last nine games and 1.6 steals in last five games
 • 1+ blocks in eight of last 10 games
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage (37.4), 13th in field goal percentage (45.6) and scoring (13.1) and 20th in rebounds (4.9)
 • Ranks 235th in the nation in double doubles (3)
 • Stands 14th in NSU D-I single season records with a .374 3-point field goal percentage (See table page 6)

Malik Thomas
 • Ranks 13th in the MEAC in blocks (1.0) and 30th in scoring (9.6)
 • Averaging 2.8 assists in the last six games
 • Stands 15th in NSU D-I single season records with 26 blocks (See table page 6)
 • Ranks 167th in NCAA Division I in career rebounds (523)

Jordan Butler
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in blocks (1.1) and 225th in the nation (1.11)
 • Stands 12th in NSU D-I single season records with 31 blocks (See table page 6)

LaTre'e Russell
 • Averaging 3.9 points, 2.3 rebounds in last 10 games

Devonte Banner
 • Averaged 4.8 points on 7-of-14 field goals in four games played from Feb. 7-21

MEAC Standings
The Spartans stand alone in second place in the MEAC at 11-3, while North Carolina Central sits in first at 14-0 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 over UMES (10-5). The Hawks would own any head-to-head tiebreaker with NSU. Howard (9-6) and Hampton (8-6) are in a dogfight for the No. 4 spot in the standings and the resulting first-round tournament bye that comes with it.

Better From the Line
After hitting less than 70 percent from the free throw line in 12 of the prior 13 games, NSU has now shot a combined 88-of-111 (79.3 percent) over the last four games.

Better After the Break
NSU has tallied more points in the second half than the first half in 20 of the last 26 games. On the season, NSU has scored 134 more points in the second half than the first. In the past two games alone, the Spartans have scored a combined 111 second-stanza points on 38-of-60 shooting (63.3 percent).

No Deficit is Too Big
NSU was down by 14 in the first half against Delaware State, marking the fourth time this season the Spartans won after facing a double-digit deficit. They also did so in wins over James Madison (10), Saint Peter's (14) and St. Francis Brooklyn (16). Since the start of the 2010-11 season, NSU has won four games while overcoming a double-digit deficit, with four of those contests coming this year.

On the Break
The Spartans tallied 17 fastbreak points against Delaware State, the most since scoring 20 against Stillman College on Nov. 26, 2013.

Good Stretch
Over the past two games, NSU has averaged 90.0 points per game while shooting 62-of-109 (56.9 percent) overall and committing just 12.0 fouls.

Winning Big in the MEAC
Overall in conference play, NSU is averaging 75.1 points per game while shooting 52.0 percent overall and 36.6 percent from 3-point range. NSU has outrebounded foes by an average of 6.1 boards per contest while also holding them to 39.2 percent shooting and 29.1 percent from beyond the arc. Nine of NSU's 11 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.

Best in the Conference
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, NSU is 51-11 in regular season conference play (25-7 at home, 26-4 on the road), second in the MEAC over that period of time behind North Carolina Central (54-8). Counting MEAC tournament games, the Spartans are 56-13, while the Eagles are 58-10 during that time.

Winning Record
NSU secured its fourth straight winning season with the victory at Coppin State. Prior to the start of that streak in 2011-12, NSU had a winning record just twice in 14 seasons since moving to Division I in 1997. The Spartans own an 84-48 record over the last four seasons, the best four-game stretch for the program since 1993-97 (94-26). NSU ranks second to North Carolina Central (89-36) during that time for the most overall wins in the MEAC.

With one more win, NSU will reach the 19-win plateau for the fourth straight season and tie for the third most victories in the D-I era.

MEAC Rankings
The Spartans rank No. 1 in the MEAC in rebounding margin (+4.9), defensive rebound percentage (69.8) and blocks (5.1). They also stand second in scoring offense (70.3), scoring margin (+4.3), field goal percentage (47.2), defensive rebounds (25.3), assists (13.6) and assist-turnover ratio (1.0), as well as third in rebounding (36.1), opponent rebounding (31.2) and offensive rebound percentage (34.8).

NSU is the only school in the MEAC with three players ranked in the top 15 in scoring.

Breaking a Slump from 3
NSU shot 14-of-68 (20.6 percent) from 3-point range in a four game stretch from Jan. 31-Feb. 14 after shooting 20-of-38 (52.6 percent) in the three games prior. But against Coppin State on Saturday, NSU connected on 9-of-16 from long range, the second-best shooting mark this year and tied for the 11th-best in Division I history.

Over the past two games, NSU has shot 14-of-30 from long range (46.7 percent).

The team's 168 3-pointers on the season mark the fifth-most all-time. Those top 5 seasons have all come within the last five years, including 2011-12 (198), 2013-14 (187), 2010-11 (176) and 2012-13 (172).

Block Party
Over the last 17 contests, the Spartans are averaging 6.3 blocks per game and have outblocked the opposition by a collective 107-54 margin.

NSU has 149 blocks this season, the fourth-most ever for the program. In fact, those top 4 seasons have all come within the past five years, including 2010-11 (183), 2011-12 (169) and 2012-13 (151).

Thanks for the Points
NSU has outscored 11 of its last 14 opponents in points off turnovers and has had fewer turnovers than the opposition in five of the last six games. On the year the Spartans are averaging 14.7 points off turnovers per game compared to 14.1 for opponents.

NSU has had at least 12 points off turnovers in each of the last 12 games. The Spartans have also committed 13 or fewer turnovers in five of the last six games.

On Fire
NSU's current 47.2 percent clip from the field is best since the Spartans connected on 48.1 percent of their shots in 1998-99. The team's 34.7 percent effort from 3-point range is slightly behind last year's 35.2 percent clip, the best since 1998-99 (35.7).

So far this season, the Spartans are 17-2 when they outshoot their opponents from the floor and 14-0 this year when outshooting teams from 3-point range.

Winning the Rebounding Battle
The Spartans have had the rebounding edge or been even on the glass in 23 of the 29 games this year. Dating back to last season, it also includes 34 of the last 41 opponents. On the season, the Spartans have a +4.9 rebounding margin, although opponents have grabbed five more offensive rebounds this year.

Nationally Ranked
The Spartans rank 24th in the nation in blocks (5.1) as well as in the top 150 in total blocks (21, 149), field goal percentage (33, 47.2), rebound margin (38, +4.9), defensive rebounds (56, 25.34), field goal percentage defense (81, 40.8), total rebounds per game (91, 36.14), scoring offense (99, 70.3), win-loss percentage (99, 62.1), assists (103, 13.6) and scoring margin (119, +4.3).

Specialty Stats
NSU has outscored the other team by an average of 7.1 more points in the paint (31.3-24.2). On the year, NSU has outscored or been even against 24 of its 29 opponents in points in the paint. NSU has averaged 34.4 points in the paint in the last eight games.

Opponents have attempted 158 more 3-pointers on the season than NSU.

Ahead at the Half
The Spartans are 67-10 since the start of the 2011-12 season when leading or tied at the half. They also have five wins this year when trailing at the half after winning just one game last year.

Get to 20
NSU has had a 20-point scorer in 20 contests this year and 27 overall 20-point performances in 29 games.

Doubling Up
The Spartans have had 21 double-doubles on the season this year, including the most recent, a 16-point, 13-rebound effort by RaShid Gaston against Delaware State.