MEAC Basketball Tournament Game Updates: OT & Close Games Rule

The 2026 MEAC Baketball Tournament updates on March 12, 2026.

MEAC MEN'S GAME - MARCH 12th

NCCU Wins Overtime Nailbiter

Dionte Johnson scored 26 points and North Carolina Central closed strong in overtime to beat Maryland Eastern Shore 83-76 on Thursday night.

Johnson went 8-for-14 from the field and 8-for-9 at the free-throw line, including four free throws in the final seconds of overtime to seal it after UMES had missed a potential go-ahead 3-pointer. The Eagles, who never trailed in the extra period, shot 50.9 percent from the floor and 91.3 percent from the line.

Forward Gardner Lattimore added 18 points and eight rebounds for N.C. Central, while T. Carpenter scored 16 points and hit three 3-pointers. K. Davis chipped in eight points, five rebounds and three assists as the Eagles improved to 6-0 during a late 1:13 stretch in which they erased UMES’s final challenge.

Zion Obanla led Maryland Eastern Shore with 21 points and eight rebounds, and D. Staples scored 14 points, all coming on 3-pointers and free throws. The Hawks finished at 41.4 percent shooting but managed only one field goal in overtime, going 1-for-5 from the floor and 0-for-2 from beyond the arc.

N.C. Central outscored UMES 20-18 in points off turnovers and held a 34-30 edge in points in the paint, offsetting the Hawks’ 32-29 advantage on the glass. The Eagles led 44-40 at halftime and survived a 33-point UMES fourth-period push before pulling away in the extra session

Bulldogs Survive Late Norfolk State Rally, Win 88–82

No. 5 South Carolina State built a 15-point lead with just under six minutes to play and made just enough free throws down the stretch to hold off fourth-seeded Norfolk State, 88–82, in quarterfinal action of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament at The Scope.

Coach Erik Martin’s team, which improved to 10–21, moved into Friday’s semifinals against top-seeded Howard, which earned a first-round bye and will be seeing tournament action for the first time. Tipoff for the contest is 6 p.m.

SC State, which lost twice to Norfolk State during the regular season and fell to the Spartans in last year’s tournament final, improved to 10–21 with the victory, while Coach Robert Jones’ team ended its campaign at 15–17. The Bulldogs will be seeking their first tournament title since the 2003 season.

Jayden Johnson had a season-high 28 points to lead the Bulldogs. The sophomore point guard connected on 9-of-12 shots from the field, including 3-of-3 from three-point range. Florian Tenebay added 13 points, James Morrow 11, and Noah Treadwell 10 in the Bulldogs’ win.

Johnson, Tim Okojie, Derwin Hodge, and Morrow had five rebounds each to lead Martin’s team on the boards.

Elijah Jamison had 24 points to lead three Spartans in double figures. Anthony McComb III added 21 points, and Devon Ellis had 14 points and a team-high six rebounds for Norfolk State, which had previously won four tournament titles, including last season.

SC State, which made half of its shots from the field, took a 72–57 lead on a Tenebay jumper with 5:43 to play and appeared to be sailing to an easy win. But that was the last field goal of the game for the Bulldogs, who made 16-of-23 free throws the rest of the way.

The Spartans, helped by some long-range shooting down the stretch and some missed opportunities at the charity stripe by SC State, closed the gap to 77–67 on a three-pointer by Jordon Leaks with 2:47 on the clock before the Bulldogs went ahead 81–69 when Rayniel Wright made one of two from the line with 1:49 to play.

The Spartans resorted to fouling and, despite two misses from the line by Treadwell with 43 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs canned 7-of-8 from the stripe to hang on for the win. Norfolk State got to within five twice, the last time at 87–82 after a McComb three-pointer with just 3.2 seconds remaining.

MEAC WOMEN'S GAMES - MARCH 12th

Spartans Cruise Past Morgan State Behind Richardson’s 18 Points

Anjanae Richardson scored a game-high 18 points to lead four players in double figures as Norfolk State defeated Morgan State 69–43 in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament at the Norfolk Scope.

The win advances the Spartans, the No. 3 seed, to a semifinal matchup against No. 2 seed Maryland Eastern Shore. The game tips off at 2 p.m.

Norfolk State, which has won three straight tournament championships, took control early by jumping out to an 18–9 lead at the end of the first quarter. Richardson was especially efficient, hitting five of her first eight shots.

In the second quarter, Da’Brya Clark, Jasha Clinton and LeAire Nicks joined the scoring effort, providing a balanced offensive attack.

The Spartans went into halftime comfortably ahead, holding a 35–21 lead.

Morgan State showed more fight in the third quarter, outscoring Norfolk State 14–13, but still trailed 48–35 heading into the final period.

Richardson and her teammates quickly put the game away in the fourth quarter, opening with an 8–0 run in the first two minutes. Norfolk State’s largest lead reached 31 points with just under two minutes remaining.

The Spartans dominated statistically, converting Morgan State turnovers into 28 points, winning the battle in the paint 42–10, and outrebounding the Bears 50–37, including 17 offensive rebounds.

Morgan State struggled offensively, shooting just 20 percent from the field (11-of-53) and missing 12 of its 13 attempts from three-point range.

Ja’la Bannerman came off the bench to lead Morgan State with 14 points and nine rebounds. No other Bears player reached double figures.

Morris Scores 17 as Coppin State Downs NCCU 70–52

Khila Morris scored a team-high 17 points to lead four players in double figures as the Coppin State Eagles women's basketball pulled away for a 70–52 victory over the North Carolina Central Eagles women's basketball in the quarterfinal round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Tournament at the Norfolk Scope Arena.

Coppin State set the tone early, building a 14–9 lead by the end of the first quarter.

NCCU (9–20) responded with a late push before halftime, using a 9–2 run to cut the deficit to 29–25 at the break.

The Eagles regained momentum in the third quarter, opening the second half with a 6–0 run led by Morris, who scored seven of her points after halftime. The surge pushed Coppin State’s lead into double digits, and it never looked back.

Erin Henry and Shanai Gamble each added 12 points, while Sydney Burris chipped in 11 to round out the balanced scoring effort.

Despite making just 2-of-14 attempts from three-point range, Coppin State capitalized at the free-throw line, converting 22-of-29 attempts. The Eagles also controlled the glass, outrebounding NCCU 44–25.

NCCU was led by Morgan Callahan with 17 points, while Aniya Finger added 11 points off the bench.

With the win, Coppin State (10–22), the tournament’s No. 4 seed, advances to the semifinals on Friday, where it will face No. 1 seed Howard Bison women's basketball at noon.

MEAC Basketball Tournament Game Updates: OT & Close Games Rule | March 12th