NORFOLK — The Battle of the Bay returns Friday with its usual intensity, but both Norfolk State basketball programs enter the rivalry eager for something far more practical: a course correction.
The women tip off at 5:30 p.m. and the men follow at 8, with the Norfolk State and Hampton U men’s and women’s teams coming off uneven road swings and looking for a jolt in front of what’s expected to be a packed Echols Hall.
For Norfolk State’s women, the backdrop is familiar dominance — a 28-game home winning streak and five wins in the last six against Hampton — mixed with the urgency of a 2-4 start. All four losses came away from home, including three to nationally-ranked opponents. First-year coach Jermaine Woods said the matchup means what it always has meant in the 757.
“You can throw all the numbers out the window when it comes to Hampton vs. Norfolk State,” Woods said. “It’s gonna be a challenge. It’s going to be a very loud atmosphere.”
Woods, a Norfolk native who grew up steeped in the rivalry, said only a few players truly understand its magnitude. Transfers and freshmen have learned mostly through film and stories, though he noted that former Hampton guard Jasha Clinton — now NSU’s leading scorer — naturally grasps the stakes. He emphasized that bragging rights around town matter, but right now, the Spartans simply need a win.
“It’s everything (to beat a rival),” he said, laughing. “But we just need a win period. … And you want those bragging rights whenever you go to the mall, church, restaurants.”
But for Woods, it’s also personal to win this game, he said. He highlighted the rivalry split between the teams on both sides of the water, and what it means to the respective schools.
“One side of the tunnel vs. the other side of the tunnel – it’s almost like two different worlds,” Woods said. “If you’re from this side of the water, you don’t consider yourself from that side of the water. …
“We want to be the best university in the area and in the state.”
Hampton women enter at 1–2, having dropped two straight on the road, but the Pirates expect the setting to sharpen them. Coach Tamisha Augustin said her team has prepared intentionally for the environment, using crowd noise in practice and emphasizing focus after lessons from their last road stretch.
“I expect it to be a really, really competitive environment,” Augustin said. “I expect both teams to lay everything out on the floor.”
Her players echoed the sentiment this week, calling the matchup “a pride and joy thing” and noting that games against NSU carry a weight that follows them all year.
NSU vs. HU men
The men’s matchup mirrors the women’s in stakes and tone. Norfolk State is 2–3 and has lost three straight — two to local opponents Old Dominion and William & Mary — but has won the last five meetings against Hampton. Coach Robert Jones said his group has shown flashes, building double-digit leads in nearly every game, but has yet to close.
Anthony McComb III leads the Spartans in scoring at 15.4 points per game, followed by Devon Ellis at 12.4.
“In this young season, we’re still trying to figure out a way to finish games,” Jones said. “It’s just about finishing it out now.”
He added that Friday is less about rivalry hype and more about halting a skid. “This season it’s just about getting a win,” he said. “It’s a pivotal game for both programs.”
Hampton, meanwhile, is 2–4 after a taxing early schedule that included trips to Virginia and Boston College. Xzavier Long leads HU in scoring at 12 points per game, followed by Daniel Johnson (11.3).
First-year coach Ivan Thomas — another Norfolk native who knows the rivalry well — said the matchup still stirs something deeper in the community.
“It gives the fans the bragging rights for that year,” Thomas said. “It means a lot to the history of the schools, and means a lot for the fanatics. And that’s good for sports, that’s good for the area, that’s good for camaraderie.”
Thomas said his team is still learning to play connected basketball, but he believes the environment itself can lift young players. He also sees the matchup as an early measuring stick.
“I think it’s a litmus test for me to see if my team can get better,” he said. “I do think this will be one of the toughest environments that we will play in.”
