MEAC: Men’s Basketball Recap, March 1
S.C. State def. Norfolk State – 91-88
N.C. Central def. Howard – 72-68
Delaware State def. Coppin State – 83-79
Morgan State def. Md. Eastern Shore – 75-72
S.C. State def. Norfolk State – 91-88
ORANGEBURG, S.C. – Norfolk State’s quest for the team’s fifth MEAC Regular Season title of head coach Robert Jones’ tenure took a slight delay on Saturday, as South Carolina State took down the Spartans 91-88 at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Center.
Brian Moore Jr. led NSU (20-9, 10-2 MEAC) with 27 points, shooting 10-of-13 from the floor. Christian Ings tallied 16 points, six assists, and two steals, while Kuluel Mading added 12 points.
Ranking third in the nation in bench scoring, South Carolina State (16-12, 9-3) utilized huge contributions from reserves to pull off the win. Drayton Jones tallied 20 points, shooting 14-of-17 from the free throw line, while Mitchell Taylor knocked down six 3-pointers in an 18-point performance.
N.C. Central def. Howard – 72-68
DURHAM, N.C. – The North Carolina Central University men’s basketball team ended a three-game losing streak in the Nest winning 72-68 over Howard University on Saturday evening in McDougald-McLendon Arena. The Eagles had three players in double figures, including junior forward Perry Smith Jr. who earned a double-double in three of the last four games.
Junior guard Po’Boigh King had a team-high 20 points. Smith scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while junior guard Dionte Johnson also finished with 18 points combined with five rebounds and four assists.
NC Central is now 12-17 overall with a 5-7 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference record.
Before the game, five players from the men’s basketball team were honored for senior night. Chris Daniels, Keishon Porter, Isaac Parson, Aquan Smart and Timmy Adedire were all presented with framed jerseys before warm-ups began.
Delaware State def. Coppin State – 83-79
DOVER, Del. — Martaz Robinson scored 26 points and Robert Smith added 20 and the Delaware State men’s basketball team defeated the Coppin State Eagles 83-79 at home Saturday.
Robinson and Smith’s stellar scoring performances led the Hornets (15-12, 7-5) in the contest. Robinson tacked on six steals and Smith added two steals. Kaseem Watson also helped out with 12 points, six rebounds and two steals.
Delaware State forced 19 Coppin State turnovers while committing 15 themselves in Saturday’s game. The Hornets turned those takeaways into 25 points on the offensive end of the floor. Robinson’s six steals led the way for Delaware State.
Morgan State def. Md. Eastern Shore – 75-72
Princess Anne, Md. – Morgan State secured a hard-fought 75-72 victory over the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks on Saturday, fueled by a strong performance from senior forward Daniel Akitoby. Akitoby’s team-high 23 points proved crucial as the Bears weathered a late rally from the Hawks at the Hytche Center.
- Daniel Akitoby, the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, shot 8-for-11 from the field and grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds, with four assists and a block in 38 minutes.
- Kiran Oliver added 17 points (6-8 FG), and Kameron Hobbs, who had 2 points in the first half, finished with 15 points and four rebounds.
- Cardell Bailey led the Hawks with a game-high 27 points (9-18 FG) off the bench and grabbed five boards with four steals.
- Ketron Shaw, the No. 3 ranked scorer in the MEAC (18 ppg), contributed 15 points (7-14 FG) with seven boards, two assists and two blocks.
- Evan Johnson and Hassan Perkins chipped in 12 points apiece.
