Norfolk State Men's Basketball
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Its win streak now at 10 games and counting, the Norfolk State men's basketball team plays its last game away from the Hampton Roads area on Monday when the Spartans travel to Bethune-Cookman. Tip-off from Moore Gym between the second-place Spartans and Wildcats is set for 7:30 p.m.
NSU (11-2) continues to stay hot on the trail of first-place North Carolina Central (11-1). The Spartans have also wrapped up a MEAC tournament bye. They also sit two games ahead of both Hampton and Morgan State (8-4) for second place in the league.
NSU, 14-13 overall, owns its longest win streak since the Spartans won 15 straight in 2012-13, the year they went undefeated in conference play. Only five teams in the nation (Gonzaga, Vermont, Monmouth, Princeton, N.C. Central) are currently riding a longer win streak than NSU.
The Wildcats, meanwhile, enter Monday's game at 6-20 overall and 3-9 in conference play.
Media Coverage
The game will be broadcast live on Star 1310 AM as well as Hot 91.1 FM with Ross Gordon on the call. Live audio is available through
www.star1310.com as well as
hot91.nsu.edu:8000/128. 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.
Bethune-Cookman will have
live stats available through its website.
Series History
Norfolk State won the first meeting this year with Bethune-Cookman, 73-66, at home. That ran NSU's record against the Wildcats to 19-12. The Spartans have won six of the last eight meetings in a series that began in 1964-65, was renewed again the following year, and then went on hiatus until Norfolk State joined the MEAC.
About Bethune-Cookman
The Wildcats are coming off a 62-61 upset victory over Hampton on Saturday at home. Their previous nine losses, including eight against MEAC teams, all came by single digits. Brandon Tabb scored 14 to lead B-CU against Hampton, and he scored 18.4 to lead four players in double figures. Reggie Baker (13.5), Quinton Forrest (12.6) and Diamante Lewis (11.0) also score more than 10 per game for an offense that averages nearly 72 per contest. Bethune-Cookman also gives up 79 per game, allowing teams to shoot 48 percent overall. The Wildcats, meanwhile, only shoot 41.5 percent from the floor, including just 31 percent from deep. Tabb has 89 3-pointers this season and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.2) to Forrest (5.5). The Wildcats have been outrebounded by 4.5 boards per game, but they do swipe the ball eight times per contest as the opposition turns it over 15 times.
Last Time Out
NSU needed double overtime, but the Spartans outscored Florida A&M by 12 in the second extra session to defeat the Rattlers 77-65 on Saturday night in Tallahassee. NSU led by 14 in the second half, but Florida A&M came back to tie it on Marcus Barham's 3-pointer with nine seconds left in regulation. Both teams shot less than 40 percent for the contest, but NSU held FAMU to 0-of-7 shooting in the second overtime.
Jonathan Wade had just five points at the end of regulation but finished with 14 to go with 11 rebounds for his fifth straight double-double.
Zaynah Robinson scored 20 points on 9-of-19 shooting with seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.
Kerwin Okoro shot 5-of-10 from 3-point range and totaled 19 points and eight rebounds. The Spartans held a 66-43 edge on the glass, as six different players totaled at least seven rebounds on the night. It marked the most rebounds in a game for NSU in the Division I era.
Conference Standings
Because Savannah State is ineligible for postseason play, the top four teams in the standings this year will get first-round MEAC tournament byes. NSU has already secured a bye, but the Spartans are eyeing a bigger prize. Finishing first or second in the regular season standings would guarantee them not only a first-round bye, but would set NSU up for the more favorable Wednesday-Friday-Saturday schedule at the tournament. One more win for the Spartans would force both Hampton and Morgan State to win out to prevent NSU from locking up one of those top two spots.
The Spartans have finished no worse than tied for third each of the last five years, the only program in the league to do so. NSU has also finished fourth or better in the MEAC in nine of the last 10 seasons.
Player Tidbits
Jonathan Wade
 • Posted 5th straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds at Florida A&M; Averaging 20.8 points and 11.6 rebounds during those 5 games
 • Scored 27 against S.C. State, the 15th game this season with 20+ points
 • Shot career-best 5-of-9 from the 3-point line against MDES
 • Has made 42-of-51 from the free throw line last 5 games, including career-best 12-of-14 at South Carolina State
 • Has scored in double figures in all 27 games
 • Ranks 3rd in the nation in largest increase in points per game from last year (+14.0) behind Hofstra's Justin Wright-Foreman (+15.4) and Northeastern's T.J. Williams (+14.7)
 • Ranks 2nd in the MEAC in scoring (19.9), 3rd in defensive rebounds (5.2), 5th in field goal percentage (48.9) and rebounding (6.7), 6th in 3-point field goal percentage (39.5), 8th in minutes (34.2) and 15th in free throw percentage (74.6)
 • Ranks 31st in the nation in points per game (20.2), No. 128 in field goal percentage (49.6), No. 135 in minutes (34:02), No. 149 in double doubles (5) and No. 195 in defensive rebounds (5.00)
 • Stands No. 624 in NCAA Division I career records in points (718)
 • Ranks 5th in NSU Division I records in scoring average (19.9) and free throw attempts (181), 6th in free throws made (135), 8th in points (538) and 3-point field goal percentage (39.5), 12th in field goals made (177) and 15th in field goal attempts (362)
 • Ranks 9th all-time at NSU in 3-point field goal percentage (37.8) and 14th in free throw percentage (77.0)
Zaynah Robinson
 • Averaging 18.4 points and 3.2 steals last 5 games and 6.2 assists last 10 games, including 20 points at Florida A&M for 7th 20+ point game this year
 • Has played at least 36 minutes in 10 of the last 12 games, including all 40 minutes in four contests and a career-high 49 at Florida A&M
 • Grabbed career-high 7 rebounds at Florida A&M
 • Has tallied 12 or more points in 11 of the last 14 games
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in assist-turnover ratio (3.3) and steals (1.6), 4th in minutes (34.9), 6th in assists (4.4), 10th in free throw percentage (77.2) and 17th in scoring (12.8)
 • Ranks 12th in the nation in assist-turnover ratio (3.18), No. 109 in minutes (34:21), No. 120 in assists (4.3) and No. 153 in steals (1.52)
 • Stands No. 192 in NCAA Division I career records with 245 assists and No. 817 in points (611)
 • Ranks 4th in NSU Division I records in assist average (4.38) and 6th in assists (114)
 • Ranks 16th all-time at NSU in assists (251), 17th in 3-point field goal attempts (256) and 18th in 3-point field goals (85)
Jordan Butler
 • Averaging 8.2 rebounds and 2.4 blocks in MEAC games
 • Earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Feb. 13, his 4th in the last 5 weeks along with Jan. 16 and 23 and Feb. 6
 • Ranks 1st in the MEAC in blocks (1.9), 3rd in rebounding (6.9), 6th in defensive rebounds (4.9) and 9th in offensive rebounds (2.0)
 • Ranks 48th in the nation in blocks (1.86), No. 222 in rebounds (6.8) and No. 235 in defensive rebounds (4.76)
 • Stands 23rd in NCAA Division I career records with 149 total blocks, 32nd with a 1.69 blocks-per-game average, No. 219 in rebounds (470) and No. 1,094 in points (494)
 • Ranks 9th in NSU Division I records in blocks (41) and 14th in rebound average (6.9)
 • Ranks 3rd all-time at NSU in blocks (151)
Alex Long
 • Ranks 3rd in the MEAC in blocks (1.3), 12th in defensive rebounds (4.1) and 14th in rebounding (5.5)
 • Ranks No. 130 in the nation in blocks (1.32)
 • Ranks 14th in NSU Division I records in blocks (35)
 • Ranks 14th all-time at NSU in blocks (70)
Dan Robinson
 • Averaging 5.0 points on 18-of-28 shooting last 8 games and 4.5 rebounds last 4 games
 • Ranks 11th in the MEAC (1.0) and No. 209 in the nation in blocks (1.08)
Kerwin Okoro
 • Posted 6th double-digit scoring game of the season with 19 at Florida A&M, shooting career-best 5-of-10 from 3-point range
 • Also had career-high 8 rebounds and tied career best with 2 blocks
Bryan Gellineau
 • Averaging 5.7 points last 3 games
Conference Streak
NSU will finish above .500 this year in the MEAC, securing their 19th straight season with a .500 or better conference record. In fact, in Norfolk State's 62 seasons in either the EIAC, CIAA or the MEAC, the program has had just one losing conference record (9-10 in the CIAA in 1990-91).
NSU is tied with Wisconsin for eighth in the nation for the longest streak of .500-or-better conference records in a row in Division I (See table page 6). NSU has posted 24 straight .500 or better conference records, dating back to that 1990-91 campaign.
Every other team in the MEAC has had at least one losing conference record since 2011-12.
Clean the Glass
The Spartans are +5.6 on the glass in conference games, including four contests in which they outrebounded their opponents by at least 10. The Spartans own a 2-10 record this year when getting outrebounded but are 12-3 when ahead or tied in the rebound column. NSU also ranks 59th in the nation in defensive rebounds per game (26.85).
NSU had 66 rebounds at Florida A&M, topping the previous school Division I record of 60 set on Feb. 6 at Savannah State. Prior to that, the record had been 56 against Virginia State on Nov. 15, 2000. The Spartans were also +23 on the boards against Florida A&M, its best rebounding margin since being +23 at Coppin State on Feb. 2, 2013.
MEAC Rankings
The Spartans rank first in the MEAC in blocks (5.4), with the next highest team being Hampton at 3.6. NSU also ranks second in scoring margin (-2.0), field goal percentage defense (41.1), defensive rebounds (27.6) and defensive rebound percentage (71.4), and third in field goal percentage (42.7), 3-point field goal percentage defense (32.4) and rebound margin (+1.0).
MEAC Offense
Overall, the Spartans are averaging 74.4 points per game and shooting 44.6 percent overall against MEAC foes this year.
Play Some 'D'
On the other side, NSU has limited the opposition to 37.0 percent shooting, including 27.1 percent from deep, during conference play. The Spartans also have a 78-49 edge in blocks.
Have Another Chance
NSU has averaged 14.3 second-chance points over the last four games while averaging 9.7 per game for the season.
Bench Production
So far this year, the opposition's bench is outscoring NSU's, 22.8-18.0. The Spartans, however, have gotten 24.7 points per game from their bench over the last six games.
Best in the Conference
Since the start of the 2011-12 season, NSU is 75-18 in regular season conference play (38-9 at home, 37-9 on the road), just ahead of North Carolina Central (74-18) during that time for the best record in the league. Counting MEAC tournament games, the Spartans are 82-21, while the Eagles are 80-22 during that time. NSU also owns a 117-81 overall record since the start of the 2011-12 season, second in the conference to North Carolina Central (125-63).
