NORFOLK, VA (WTKR)- Norfolk State fans had a lot to cheer about Saturday at Scope and that excitement will continue into next week's NCAA Tournament on both the men's and women's sides.
Both Spartan teams won their respective MEAC championship games, earning a berth in the big dance and asserting themselves atop the conference.
The NSU men overcame an 11-point deficit to top South Carolina State, 66-65. Robert Jones and company pulled even and opened up a seven point lead late in the game, only to see the Bulldogs charge back. A steal and quick lay-up with 10 seconds left tied the game at 65 apiece, but Christian Ings connected on the game-winning free throw with seven seconds remaining and a last second shot from SCSU was off the mark.
The Spartans improved their record to 24-10 and won their third MEAC Tournament title since 2021. Ings led the green and gold with 16 points, while Brian Moore Jr. added 15 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player.
As for the women, they overcame a slow start and defeated Howard, 68-56, to win their third consecutive MEAC crown. Norfolk State became the first program to three-peat since Hampton won five in a row from 2010-2014. The victory also marked the Spartans' 30th of the season, a first for the women's basketball program.
The green and gold looked sluggish in the first half, but managed to pull things together and go into the locker room with a 29-26 lead at halftime. Larry Vickers' group used a big third quarter to open up the advantage and would widen the gap to as many as 20 points in the second half. The Bison trimmed the deficit to nine points late, but NSU took care of business down the stretch.
Kierra Wheeler led the way with 19 points and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player, while Diamond Johnson chipped in 16 points.
Both Norfolk State teams will discover their seeds, opponents and tournament destinations Sunday.
