Maybe 30 is the new 50.
It sure seemed to be the case for Norfolk State Monday at Campbell.
Challenged by coach Larry Vickers to hold the Camels to less than 50 points, the Spartans lowered the bar to 30 and still cleared it with points to spare in a suffocating 53-27 rout in Buies Creek, N.C.
It was the best defensive performance in the Spartans’ 21-year Division I era, and the latest highlight in arguably NSU’s best non-conference run since leaving the CIAA in 1997. In fact, to paraphrase the old Army slogan, this Norfolk State team has done more before Christmas than some prior NSU teams were able to do all season.
Now, a 5-5 record won’t exactly get you on SportsCenter. Still, it’s a significant step at Norfolk State, a program two years removed from going winless in November, December and January before finally breaking through (in overtime) on Feb. 6 at Howard. A program that has finished an entire season with five wins or less four times in the last nine years. And a program that hasn’t ended with a winning record since 2001-02.
In addition, the five victories are all against Division I opponents (VCU, St. Francis-NY, Towson, UNC Greensboro, Campbell). It’s just the third time since leaving the CIAA in 1997 that an NSU team has won five non-conference games against full-fledged D-I foes. No NSU team has ever beaten six Division I non-league foes. With a win at William and Mary Thursday (2 p.m. tip) or at Longwood on Dec. 30, the Spartans will have done something no D-I NSU team has ever done – while setting themselves up as serious contenders to dethrone Hampton atop.the MEAC.
“The main this is, how do we handle success?” said Vickers, who has infused the program with talented transfers the past two seasons. “If we handle success well, I think we can get to the 20 number (total victories). We have all the pieces.”
Thursday’s matchup of the red-hot Spartans (three-game winning streak) and the even-hotter Tribe (winners of seven straight) will feature contrasting styles. For while the Spartans have thrived with defense, the Tribe has been a borderline offensive juggernaut (76.3 ppg, three games of at least 50 percent field goal shooting) in racing out to a 9-1 record.
A fast start isn’t exactly new at William and Mary – the Tribe opened 9-1 last year and 8-2 the year before that. But the fact that the Tribe is getting similar results despite the graduation of All-CAA stars Alexandra Masaquel and Marlena Tremba speaks to the quality of program fifth-year coach Ed Swanson has installed in Williamsburg.
Thursday’s game also figures to feature plenty of rejections – William and Mary ranks second in Division I in blocked shots per game (8.4 bpg) and Norfolk State is third (8.3).
(Photo courtesy of Norfolk State athletics)
Can @NorfolkStateWBB make it 4️⃣ wins in a row? A stern test awaits the Spartans tomorrow in the form of 9-1 William & Maryhttps://t.co/eXUfs1iazu
— Norfolk State WBB (@NorfolkStateWBB) December 20, 2017