The No.2-seeded Norfolk State Spartans (17-15) take on the South Carolina State Bulldogs (18-13) in the third round of the MEAC tournament at Norfolk Scope Arena. The game gets underway at 8:30 pm ET on Friday, Mar. 11.
The Spartans easily got past North Carolina Central 66-47 in the 2. Jeff Short led all scorers with 16 points on 4-for-11 shooting. The Bulldogs, meanwhile, are coming off a 90-80 win over Coppin State in the 2. Eric Eaves led the team in scoring with 21 points on 6-for-14 shooting.
D’Shon Taylor has really been playing well as of late for the Spartans, averaging 16.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.8 steals, 0.8 blocks, and 1.8 three-pointers over the last five games.
Based on each team’s statistical profile, ball protection could play an integral role in this matchup. Norfolk State commits the 26th-fewest miscues in the nation (TO% of 18.4%), while South Carolina State’s ball-hawking defense forces the 27th-most (opponents’ TO% of 18.3%). Also, the Bulldogs commit the 13th-fewest errors in the nation (TO% of 17.2%), while the gambling defense of the Spartans causes the 15th-most (opponents’ TO% of 19.6%).
This will be the second matchup of the season between these two teams. The Spartans won the first game 66-47. Eaves was the game’s leading scorer with 21 points.
Notes
Norfolk State won its last game by a 19-point margin. In games decided by a margin of 18 points or more, South Carolina State is 1-3. Norfolk State is 7-4 in blowouts this season.
The Norfolk State Spartans have a defensive rating of 105.8 (ranked 37th), while the South Carolina State Bulldogs have an offensive rating of 107.1 (ranked 145th).
The South Carolina State Bulldogs average a field goal percentage of 45.1% this season. The Norfolk State Spartans are a winless 0-11 when opponents have a FG% of 45.1% or greater.
The Norfolk State Spartans rank lower for their field goal percentage (244th) than they do for their effective field goal percentage (226th), but the South Carolina State Bulldogs have a better FG% ranking (123rd) than eFG% ranking (168th).
The Norfolk State Spartans average 5.2 blocks per game, the 24th-ranked team in the country. The South Carolina State Bulldogs rank a lowly 273rd in blocking with just 2.6 per game.
Norfolk State ranks 15th in forced turnovers with an average rate of 19.6%. South Carolina State has a 6-4 record when it suffers a turnover rate equal to or exceeding this.
