By: Sebastian Burke, Sports Information Intern
NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State women's basketball team hosts two conference games in a span of three days, starting off with South Carolina State on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Joseph Echols Hall. The Spartans will then have just Sunday to prepare for Florida A&M, when they come to town on Monday for a 4 p.m. tipoff.
The Spartans (10-7, 4-0 MEAC) are undefeated since conference play has started, the third straight year NSU has won their first four MEAC games. Last season the Spartans started MEAC play 6-0 before their first conference loss, which was their best conference start since NSU joined the MEAC.
Media Coverage
Fans can tune into the S.C. State game on Saturday by listening to
HOT 91.1 WNSB or through the NSUSpartans.com
video live stream. Fans can also follow the
live stats.
On Monday against FAMU,
HOT 91.1 WNSB will be airing the game on radio. This game will also be
video streamed by NSUSpartans.com. Live Stats for the FAMU game can be
found here.
Series History vs. S.C. State
This will be the 41st meeting between the two teams, and the seventh meeting during coach
Larry Vickers' tenure.
NSU holds a 23-18 series advantage over the Bulldogs (3-15, 2-3 MEAC), with much success early in the rivalry and as of late. The Bulldogs have never one more than three straight against the Spartans, meanwhile NSU is currently on a five-game winning streak against S.C. State.
The Spartans defeated the Bulldogs 57-50 in last season's matchup in Orangeburg, S.C. on January 21, 2019.
De'Janaire Deas had six points, two blocks and two rebounds in that game, while
Dana Echols dished out five assists, grabbed six boards and put up three points.
A Win over the Bulldogs Would...
Be five wins in a row for the Spartans.
With a win against S.C. State, the Spartans will have a 5-0 conference start in back-to-back seasons.
Scouting the Bulldogs
S.C. State is coming off a 60-55 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday night. It snapped a three-game losing streak for the Bulldogs.
Heniaya Moten averages 12.3 points per game, a figure that skyrocketed after a 33-point performance in her previous game against MDES.
Taylor Brown leads the Bulldogs with 16.7 points per game, but has only appeared in seven games so far this season. Brown also leads the team with 7.1 rebounds per game.
Jacquece Alston is third on the team with 8.6 points per game, and is second with 5.9 rebounds per game.
If there's one thing S.C. State does well, it's their three-point defense. The Bulldogs rank fourth in the MEAC in 3-point field goal defense, holding their opponents to just 28.5% from behind the arc.
The Bulldogs went 16-16 last year overall, and 8-8 in the MEAC. They fell to MDES in the second round of the MEAC tournament.
Series History vs. Rattlers
FAMU is one of the MEAC teams that's had NSU's number since the two teams started playing each other in the 1996-97 season. The Rattlers hold a 9-24 series advantage over the Spartans, but NSU is currently riding a three-game winning streak against FAMU. Coach Vickers lost his first two games against the Rattlers, but has won the last three with the Spartans' win streak.
The Spartans defeated the Rattlers 69-45 in the last matchup of these teams, on Feb. 11, 2019 in Tallahassee, Fla.
La'Deja James dropped 14 points in that game, and added five rebounds, two assists and a steal.
Scouting the Rattlers
Florida A&M are coming off a heartbreaking 71-70 loss to North Carolina Central on Monday, then face Howard on Saturday before heading to NSU on Monday. The game against N.C. Central snapped a two-game winning streak for the Rattlers.
Alaina Rice and Shalaunda Burney-Robinson are the leading scorers for FAMU, both averaging 10.1 points per game. Rice also leads the team in steals (2 spg) and assists (2.6 apg), while Burney-Robinson leads the team with 7.4 rebounds per game.
Jasmine Ballew is the third leading scorer with 9.2 points, providing a three-point threat for the Rattlers by hitting 36.5% of her shots from behind the arc.
Kailya Jackson is the fourth leading scorer with 8.3 points per game and momentarily has the hot-hand, going off for a team-high 21 points in FAMU's loss to N.C. Central on Monday.
The Fab Five
Chanette Hicks leads the Spartans with 22.5 points per game, 5.4 assists per game and 5.4 steals per game. She leads the MEAC in all three of those categories, and is top 10 in the country in scoring (6th), steals per game (2nd), free-throw attempts (6th) and field goals made (3rd).
La'Deja James completes the Spartans 1-2 punch, averaging 12.4 points per game along with 5.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. After averaging 10.6 points per game in her first 13 contests, James has averaged 17.3 points per game in the last four games. James is 13 points shy of 500 points with 487 points in 38 games at NSU.
Blaire Thomas is the third leading scorer for the Spartans with 8.3 points per game, while leading the team with 5.7 rebounds per game. Thomas is 12th in the MEAC in rebounds per game.
Dana Echols returned to the starting lineup for the Spartans against Coppin State, scoring a season-high eight points to go along with another season-high eight rebounds.
Mikaela Jones rounds out the Spartan starting five, averaging 6.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. She had a career-high 15 points against Richmond.
The Freshmen
Boogie on Reggae Woman
After scoring just three-points total in her first four games, Cam "Boogie" Platt-Morris has averaged 5.8 points in her last five games. She had a coming out party against Longwood, finishing with eight points and hitting two clutch three-pointers in the game. She also had three steals against the Lancers.
Babyface Edmonds
Ta'Liyah Edmonds had her best game of her young career last time out against MDES, finishing with a career-high eight points and grabbing three rebounds.
Record Watching
This 2019-20 team has a chance to break a few records this year, especially because of the play of Hicks.
Hicks' 22.5 points per game is on pace to break NSU's DI single season scoring record set by
Rae Corbo's 20.8 points per game in 2014-15. As a team, The Spartans are averaging 68.1 points per game so far this season, and on pace to pass the 64.2 points per game record set by the 2002-03 squad. Hicks also leads the MEAC with 5.4 assists per game, and is right behind NSU's DI record set by
Recca Trice's 6.0 assists per game in 2012-13.
Not only has Hicks jump started the Spartans' offense this year, the defense has been on a roll as well. Hicks is second in the country with 5.3 steals per game, and is on pace to break NSU's all-time record of 4.5 steals per game done by Tracy Saunders in 1990-91.
NSU By the Numbers
4 - The Spartans winning streak since the start of MEAC play.
22.8 - Average number of points off turnovers the Spartans scored per game.
17.3 - La'Deja James' scoring output the last four games, topping her average of 12.2 points per game.
8.18 - NSU's turnover margin so far this season, which ranks second in the MEAC and sixth in the country.
68.6 - The average number of points the Spartans score per game, on pace to break NSU's DI single season record.
