Norfolk State and Alabama A&M will go head-to-head at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall in Norfolk this Saturday evening. The game is a semifinal matchup of the Collegeinsider.com Tournament, billed as the John McLendon Classic. The Bulldogs fell short against the Spartans in their most recent head-to-head clash at Frank L. Forbes Arena in November 2022, losing by a score of 89-83.
Norfolk State | OVR 21-11 | MEAC 12-4 (1st) | HOME 12-0
Norfolk State has excelled in obtaining second chance points in recent games, with an average of 13.8 per game over their last five.
The Spartans have harnessed the crowd’s energy at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall to fuel their high-intensity defense. Norfolk State is averaging an impressive 9.8 steals per home game this season.
Alabama A&M | OVR 12-22 | SWAC 10-10 (7th) | AWAY 4-14
Chad Moodie showed out for Alabama A&M with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting in the team’s last matchup against Austin Peay. Moodie (third on team in total points) will look to keep the scoring up against the Spartans’ defense.
Opponents have averaged 35.0% shooting from beyond the arc against Alabama A&M this season, but the Bulldogs have improved recently, only allowing 27.4% shooting on three-pointers over their last five contests.
Key Metrics
- Norfolk State turns the ball over 12.5 times per game for the season. This is the second fewest per game in the MEAC (conference average is 14.6 turnovers per game).
- Alabama A&M plays at the third fastest pace in the SWAC. The team averages 71.9 possessions per 40 minutes (SWAC average is 70.0) and scores approximately 0.96 points per possession.
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