RICHMOND, Ky. - The Norfolk State men's basketball team will try to put a disappointing loss behind it when the Spartans take on Eastern Kentucky on Monday night on the road. Tip-off from EKU's McBrayer Arena is set for 8 p.m. It will mark NSU's third game in five days.

The Spartans are coming off an 85-82 home loss to Niagara, one in which the Purple Eagles sank a game-winning 3-pointer with just 0.5 seconds left on the clock.

Media Coverage
Fans can watch the game live on the Ohio Valley Conference Digital Network, available at www.OVCDigitalNetwork.com. Eastern Kentucky will also have live stats available at www.sidearmstats.com/eku/mbball/.

Series History
Norfolk State won last year's meeting by an 87-80 score in overtime at Echols Hall, the start of the second home-and-home series between the two teams. Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series, 3-2. The two squads split the first home-and-home in 2011-12 and 2012-13, with each team holding serve at home. EKU also pulled out wins over NSU in the 2005 Paradise Jam and at home in the 2015 CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT).

Scouting Eastern Kentucky
The Colonials stand 5-6 on the season after defeating Charleston Southern on the road on Friday, 70-65. All six of their losses have been by at least 10 points. EKU averages 72 points per game, led by Nick Mayo (17.0 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.8 blocks) and Dedric Boyd (15.2 points, 2.4 assists). DeAndre Dishman also reached double figures with 10.1 points and 5.8 boards. The Colonials are lethal from the free throw line, hitting 76.1 percent for the year. On defense, though, they give up 76 points per contest and only force 11.4 turnovers. They lose the turnover battle on average by 2.1 per game.

Last Time Out
Matt Scott hit a high-arching 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds on the clock to give Niagara an 85-82 win over Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon at Joseph Echols Hall. The Spartans led by as much as 18 in the second half, but a 16-0 run that eventually stretched into a 29-9 run got the Purple Eagles all the way back. They finally led for the first time in the game at 76-74 after the completion of the 29-9 run before NSU's Derrik Jamerson Jr. sank back-to-back 3-pointers. Three different Niagara players, though, made treys on the last three possessions in the last minute and a half of the game. Jamerson shot 5-of-6 from deep for a team-high 17 points with six rebounds. Preston Bungei added 15 points and nine boards, while Kyle Williams hit 5-of-9 overall for a 15-point day. Alex Long also reached double figured with 11 points and eight rebounds. Scott finished with 20 for Niagara.

Player Tidbits
Alex Long
 • Averaging 14.8 points on 25-of-44 shooting and 6.0 rebounds last 4 games
 • Posted a career-high 4 steals against Mid-Atlantic Christian
 • Stands 8th in the MEAC in field goal % (51.1) and 23rd in scoring (10.8)
 • Ranks 12th all-time at NSU in blocks (81)
 • Ranks No. 290 in NCAA career records in rebounds (349) and No. 676 in points (527)

Kyle Williams
 • Averaging 11.2 points on 22-of-52 shooting, 13-of-35 from 3-point range, with 2.0 assists last 5 games
 • Ranks 9th in the MEAC in 3-point field goals (1.9) and 15th in 3-point field goal % (36.5)
 • Stands No. 1,301 in NCAA career records in points (282)

Preston Bungei
 • Averaging 14.2 points on 26-of-48 shooting with 7.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists last 5 games
 • Made 2 3-pointers for first time ever with 2 against Niagara
 • Totaled 1st career double-double with career-highs 21 points and 12 rebounds vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian; Made 8-of-9 from the floor - only 4 players in NSU's D-I history have shot better in a game
 • Ranks 8th in the MEAC in blocks (1.2), 13th in field goal % (44.8), 13th in defensive rebounds (4.4), 14th in rebounding (6.0) and 21st in scoring (11.2)
 • Also stands No. 205 in the nation in blocks (1.18)
 • Ranks No. 1,217 in NCAA career records in points (306)

Steven Whitley
 • Averaging 12.3 points with 6.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 3.0 steals last 6 games
 • 10-of-10 from the free throw line last 2 games
 • Tied career high with 9 assists vs. Niagara
 • Had 2nd career double-double with 14 points and career-high 14 rebounds vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian; Made career-best 6-of-6 from the free throw line
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in steals (2.2), 5th in assists (4.3), 10th in assist-turnover ratio (1.3) and free throw % (79.2), 17th in rebounding (5.6) and 18th in scoring (11.8)
 • Stands No. 42 in the nation in steals (2.18), No. 139 in assists (4.3) and No. 153 in double doubles (2)
 • Ranks No. 1,478 in NCAA career records in points (232)

Mastadi Pitt
 • Averaging 3.7 assists last 3 games
 • Had career-high 6 assists vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian
 • Ranks 6th in the MEAC in 3-point field goal % (40.5) and 14th in 3-point field goals (1.5)

Nic Thomas
 • Did not play last 3 games (injury)

Derrik Jamerson Jr.
 • Averaging 18.3 points on 20-of-37 shooting, 15-of-30 from deep, with 5.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals last 3 games
 • Tied career high with 6 rebounds against Niagara
 • Shot career-best 9-of-19 overall and 6-of-14 from 3 for career-high 24 points vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian
 • 14 3-point attempts was just shy of NSU record of 15
 • Ranks 6th in the MEAC in 3-point field goals (2.0) and 15th in offensive rebounds (1.8)

Stavian Allen
 • Tied career high with 2 blocks vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian
 • Ranks 15th in the MEAC in blocks (0.8)

Dan Robinson
 • Averaging 4.5 points and 4.0 rebounds last 2 games

Bryan Gellineau
 • Tied career highs with 10 points and 5-of-6 shooting with career-best 2 assists vs. Mid-Atlantic Christian

Mid-Atlantic Christian Game Tidbits
 • Norfolk State's 78-point margin of victory (112-34) is the second-largest ever behind the 1955-56 team that defeated Bowie State by 92. MACU's 34 points are tied for the third-fewest ever allowed by a Spartan team, which includes games of 32, 33 and 34 points by opponents, all in the 1950's.

 • NSU set the school record with 37 3-point attempts, topping the previous best of 34 set earlier this year at Auburn. Prior to this year, the previous best was 32 set in 2012 and '16.

 • The Spartans tied Division I records with 66 rebounds (set at Florida A&M on Feb. 18, 2017) and 26 assists (set at Coppin State on Feb. 21, 2015). The team's 42 field goals and 85 attempts against MACU are the second most in the D-I era.

 • It marked the first time NSU topped 100 points since a 105-83 win over Stillman College on Nov. 26, 2013 and the most points scored since tallying 115 against Newberry College on Nov. 13, 2013.

 • Since 2002-03, NSU has never had at least 30 offensive rebounds, a +44 rebound margin, 41 points off turnovers or 29 second-chance points.

 • Norfolk State's had 60 points in the paint, the most since posting 62 against Stillman in 2013.

 • MACU's 24 turnovers are the most by an NSU opponent since Howard had 25 on Feb. 6, 2016, and its 22 rebounds are the fewest since Liberty had 21 at the end of last year on March 13, 2017. The team's 20.0 shooting percentage marked the first time NSU held an opponent below 25 percent since Feb. 2, 2002 against Coppin State (23.7 percent).

 • The Mustangs scored just 15 points in the first half, the fewest given up by a Spartan team since allowing 13 at Florida A&M on Jan. 10, 2015.

Spartan Team Tidbits
 • Norfolk State is shooting 47.3 percent from the floor, 80.5 percent from the free throw line and averaging 11.5 3-pointers over the last two games.

 • The Spartans had a season-high 13 steals at Loyola Chicago. It marked the most steals in a game since NSU had 14 against Morgan State on Jan. 21, 2013.

 • NSU is averaging just 12.8 turnovers the last five games. Over the last seven, meanwhile, opponents are averaging 18.7, with NSU tallying 9.8 steals during the last four games. The contest against Niagara marked the first time in five games the Spartans did not win the turnover battle.

 • The Spartans have averaged 21.6 points off turnovers over the last seven games and 14.3 second chance points each of the last four contests.

 • Norfolk State has been a second half team. They have scored more points in the second half than the first in seven of 11 games, with a 37.3-33.4 points per half discrepancy (+3.9) from the second to the first.

 • NSU has gotten to the free throw line more in second halves (90-of-126) than first halves (65-of-93), and the Spartans have a +1.4 rebounding margin after the break compared to a -0.9 margin before. Opponents are the same at the free throw line, hitting 120-of-157 in second halves compared to 69-of-105 in first periods.

 • Norfolk State also averages 9.1 turnovers in the first half and 7.5 after the intermission.

 • The Spartans used five different starting lineups in the first six games and six different combinations altogether.

 • NSU ranks third in the MEAC in blocks (3.5), opponent rebounding (35.2), offensive rebounds (12.7), offensive rebound percentage (32.7),  turnover margin (+0.09) and 3-point field goals (7.6), fourth in defensive rebound percentage (71.8) and 3-point field goal percentage (34.1), and fifth in steals (6.7) and free throw percentage (70.8).

 • On a national level, NSU stands No. 40 in turnovers forced (16.73), No. 51 in offensive rebounds (12.73), No. 146 in steals (6.7), No. 167 in blocks (3.5) and No. 168 in free throw percentage (70.8).