Jones Postgame Interview | Butler Postgame Interview

NORFOLK, Va. – In dominating fashion, the Norfolk State men's basketball team made a little history on Saturday evening at Joseph Echols Hall. Riding its defense, the Spartans captured their second-ever MEAC regular season title with a 72-38 win over Coppin State.
 
At 13-1 in the MEAC, the Spartans can finish no worse than tied for first in the league after North Carolina A&T (12-3) won on Saturday as well. NSU did secure the No. 1 seed in the MEAC tournament after defeating the Aggies in their only meeting earlier this year.
 
Norfolk State's previous regular season title came in 2012-13 during its 16-0 campaign.
 
NSU held the Eagles to just 22 percent shooting for the game and 12 points in the first half while forcing 19 turnovers. The Spartans secured their second-biggest MEAC win ever at 34 points following a 35-point victory over Delaware State last year.
 
In addition, NSU set a record for the fewest points allowed against a Division I program, topping the previous best of 43 set three times in the mid-2000's. The Spartans improved to 18-11 overall, winning their fifth game in a row, with two games left in the regular season.
 
Junior Nic Thomas led all players with 16 points on 5-of-12 shooting with four rebounds. He was one of three players in double figures for NSU, which shot 42 percent for the game with eight 3-pointers.
 
Senior Alex Long also reached a milestone on Saturday, becoming the 36^th player in program history with 1,000 career points.
 
CSU (6-24, 6-9 MEAC) did not have a single player in double figures.
 
The Spartans led by 15 at the break before outscoring CSU 45-26 in the second half. The Eagles made just 5-of-27 in the first half (18.5 percent).
 
The Spartans knocked down a trio of 3-pointers as they built a 15-5 lead to start the game. Coppin State had just one score for a 12-minute stretch, although the Spartans also went nearly five and a half minutes without a score after taking that 10-point advantage.
 
Buckets by junior Steven Whitley, sophomore Mastadi Pitt and Thomas pushed the lead to 13 at 21-8 with 6:40 to go. NSU later went up by 17 with four minutes left in the half before going scoreless the rest of the period. The Spartans only made 37 percent in the first half.
 
Whitley (11 points, seven rebounds, six assists, three steals) and Pitt (10 points, five assists) each ended the night in double figures as well. Senior Derrik Jamerson Jr. made 3-of-5 from deep for nine points with eight boards.
 
NSU held a 48-38 edge on the glass, including +11 in the second half.
 
The Spartans made a pair of 3-pointers early in the second half to go up by 20. They continued to knock down treys to keep the lead at least 15. Long's alley-oop dunk at the 12:02 mark gave the Spartans a 47-26 lead, and NSU later scored eight in a row to go up by a 55-29 margin with a little less than eight minutes to go.
 
The Spartans scored 17 straight near the end of the game for a 36-point edge.
 
CSU made 13-of-59 from the field, 6-of-38 from deep. Dejuan Clayton scored a team-high nine points, and Chad Andrews-Fulton added seven points and 11 rebounds.
 
NSU outscored the Eagles 32-10 in points in the paint and 18-7 in points off turnovers.
 
NSU will play its last regular season road game on Monday night at Delaware State beginning at 7:30 p.m.