Box Score
THE GAME
After wrapping up the MEAC's regular season title, North Carolina Central University gets to face one of the perennial powers in the league in a much anticpiated matchup in the season finale.  Norfolk State is 11-4 in the conference and has finished in the fourth or better in the standings in the league in six-of-the-last seven seasons.

NCCU SPORTS NETWORK
The NCCU Sports Network will have full coverage of Thursday's doubleheader from Joseph Echols Hall as play-by-play voice Chris Hooks will call the action beginning at 5:45 p.m. with the Denny's of Durham Pregame Show.  Fans can listen to the women's contest on NCCUEaglePride.com and on the NCCU Sports Network App, while the men's contest is on 99.9 HD3-The Ticket immediately after the Lady Eagles take on the Lady Spartans.  Follow @NCCUAthletics on twitter and use the #NCCUMBB hashtag or send an e-mail to whooks@nccu.edu to interact with the broadcast.

THE SERIES
The first meeting between NCCU and Norfolk State took place on Feb. 29, 1964.  The Spartans own a 27-8 record against the Eagles, with the last matchup taking place on Feb. 19, 2011.  Since 1987, NCCU is 7-11 vs. NSU since the 1987-88 season.

2/19/11- vs. Norfolk State- 82-72 W
1/22/11- at Norfolk State- 74-71 L
1/7/08- at Norfolk State- 83-87 L
2/22/97- vs. Norfolk State- 76-74 W
3/1/96- vs. Norfolk State#- 67-80 L
2/24/96- at Norfolk State- 66-84 L
11/30/94- vs. Norfolk State- 69-77 L
12/1/93- at Norfolk State- 75-73 W
12/2/92- vs. Norfolk State- 75-67 W
12/3/91- at Norfolk State- 65-73 L
12/5/90- vs. Norfolk State- 48-69 L
2/23/90- vs. Norfolk State- 56-59 L
12/5/89- at Norfolk State(2 OT)- 57-58 L
3/17/89- vs. Norfolk State$- 67-64 W
2/24/89- vs. Norfolk State#- 49-62 L
12/6/88- vs. Norfolk State- 60-50 W
2/26/88- at Norfolk State#- 50-53 L
12/1/87- at Norfolk State- 57-56 W
#-CIAA Tournament
$-NCAA Division II Tournament

SCOUTING REPORT:  NORFOLK STATE
-Norfolk State enters Thursday's season finale on the heels of a 77-65 home win over Maryland Eastern Shore that pushed the Spartans record to 17-12 on the year, 11-4 in MEAC Play.  NSU was led by reigning MEAC Player of the Year, Pendarvis Williams who tallied 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting.    Leading scorer and fellow senior Malcolm Hawkins scored 16 points and grabbed nine boards while 7-0 center Brandon Goode recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards.

-If the MEAC Basketball Tournament began today, Norfolk State would be the No. 3 seed as they sit a game behind Hampton who will finish second, because the Pirates swept the Spartans.  Norfolk State has finished in the top fourth of the league in six of the last seven years, and won last season's regular season title, along with taking the 2011-12 MEAC Basketball Tournament on the way to pulling  off the MEAC patented 2/15 upset over Missouri.

-Norfolk State has arguably the best size and talent in the league starting with Williams who stands 6-6 and runs the point, all the way to Goode down in the post.  Not to be forgotten, despite missing a few games due to a neck injury, Hawkins and Williams are seventh (15.8 points per game) and eighth (15.7 points per game) respectively in the conference in scoring.  Williams also is 19th in rebounding (5.1 rebounds per game), ninth in field goal percentage (49.1 percent), 12th in assists (2.7 assists per game), sixth in free throw percentage (82.5 percent), sixth in steals (1.5 per game), and 14th in three-point percentage (34.6 percent).  Goode is fifth in the conference in rebounding averaging 7.3 boards per contest., second in field goal percentage at 61.2 percent, fifth in blocked shots (66-2.3 per game), third in offensive rebounds (2.8 per game), and seventh in defensive rebounds (4.5 per game).  Hawkins is also 14th in the MEAC in free throw percentage (78.7 percent).

-As a team, Norfolk State is second in scoring offense (73.2 points per game), seventh in scoring defense (71.6 points per game), sixth in free throw percentage (69.3 percent), first in field goal percentage (46.7 percent), fourth in field goal percentage defense (42.4 percent), second in three-point percentage (33.8 percent), seventh in three-point field goal percentage defense (34.3 percent), and second in rebounding defense (32.9 rebounds per game).

-NSU is led by first year coach Robert Jones who has compiled a 17-12 record and recently had the interim tag taken off his title at Norfolk State.  Jones took over for Anthony Evans who left for FIU last season.  Jones was an assistant under Evans during his tenure in Norfolk.

NCCU VS. MEAC    
Throughout NCCU's illustrious basketball history, the Eagles have taken on every team in the conference that it helped start back in 1970.  NCCU is 298-264 against MEAC opponents all-time.

Bethune-Cookman- 6-4
Coppin State- 6-3
Delaware State- 18-13
Florida A&M- 9-2
Hampton- 45-31
Howard- 38-26
Md. Eastern Shore- 19-16
Morgan State- 46-40
Norfolk State- 8-27
North Carolina A&T- 69-75
Savannah State- 8-8
SC State- 26-19