NORFOLK, Va. — After a strong start to the season, Norfolk State will face its first Division I opponent on Monday, with local bragging rights on the line.
The Spartans (2-0) will host Hampton (1-1) in the 141st edition of the Battle of the Bay rivalry at Echols Hall at 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 13. The series between the programs dates back to the 1958-59 season.
Norfolk State passed its first two tests of the year with flying colors. The Spartans won their fifth straight season-opener on Monday with a 102-55 blowout over Penn State Wilkes-Barre, before cruising past Apprentice School 90-56 on Thursday.
The Pirates lost their first matchup of the year, an intense 92-80 result at Howard’s Burr Gymnasium, but bounced back with a 109-46 victory over Mid-Atlantic Christian.
Monday’s game will be streamed live on HBCU Plus. Radio coverage is available on Hot 91.1 FM (WNSB), with Ross Gordon and Woube Gebre on the call.
QUICK HITS
- Norfolk State improved to 2-0 on the season with a 90-56 victory against Apprentice School at Echols Hall on Thursday
- Five Spartans scored in double figures against the Builders: Jaylani Darden (12), Chris Fields Jr. (12), Jamarii Thomas (11), Allen Betrand (11), and Christian Ings (10)
- Norfolk State is now 30-1 under head coach Robert Jones when five or more Spartans score in double figures
- Through two games, NSU has outscored its opponents by a combined total of 192-111
- Jamarii Thomas leads the Spartans with 15.5 points per game, while Jaylani Darden has contributed 10.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per contest
SERIES NOTES
- Norfolk State leads the all-time series
- NSU has won the last two matchups and four of the last five
- Norfolk State defeated Hampton twice last season, both in neutral site matchups. The Spartans beat the Pirates 78-66 in Las Vegas, Nev. For the Boost Mobile HBCU Challenge, before besting them again 83-71 in Newark, N.J. at the Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic
- Hampton’s last win against NSU came on Dec. 4, 2021, off a game winning shot at the buzzer
PIRATE SCOUT
- Hampton improved to 1-1 on the season with a 109-46 victory over Mid-Atlantic Christian on Thursday
- Kyrese Mullen led the Pirates with an outrageous 25-point, 18-rebound double-double against Mid-Atlantic
- Hampton opened the season with a 92-80 loss at Howard
- Tedric Wilcox tallied 24 points and three rebounds for the Pirates against the Bison, shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from behind the arc
- The Spartans allowed Howard to shoot 27-of-48 (56.3 percent) from the floor
LOOKING AHEAD TO WHAT’S NEXT
After completing the Battle of the Bay, Norfolk State will leave the contiguous United States for a tropical set of matchups. The Spartans open the 2023 U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam against Fordham at 2 p.m. EST on Friday, Nov. 17.