MEAC Basketball Tournament Quarterfinals Recap | 2023
NORFOLK - For the men's and women's divisions, the 2023 MEAC tournament kicked off at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA on Wednesday, March 8.
MEAC WOMEN'S QUARTERFINALS RECAPS
Norfolk State vs. South Carolina State
The women's quarterfinals began with a matchup between the No. 1 Norfolk State Spartans vs. No. 8 South Carolina State Bulldogs. The Spartans (23-5) entered Wednesday's contest an overwhelming favorite with an average margin of victory at 14.4 ppg during the regular season.
The Spartans were without newly crowned 2023 MEAC defensive player Camille Downs due to injury, and her absence was felt to start the game.
South Carolina State remained highly competitive throughout the first half, and at the 6:06 mark of the second quarter, the teams were tied 11-11. To settle into postseason play, the top-seeded Spartans needed to step up the intensity on defense.
Top-Seeded Norfolk State Eliminates S.C. State in MEAC Quarters; Credit: Nick Sutton, MEAC
A Mahoganie Williams steal with 5:30 to play led to an easy basket offensively, which preceded an 11-3 Norfolk State run to close the half. The Spartans forced fourteen South Carolina State turnovers in the half, leading 22-14 at the break.
To start the second half, Norfolk State scored 13-unanswered points over the first 5 minutes to eliminate any possibility of an upset. Norfolk State would cruise to a 61-37 victory. Following the game, Norfolk State Head Coach Larry Vickers discussed his team's slow start.
"We got to be the first game in the tournament. The twelve o'clock start was a little early for us, and I felt like some of our players were a little sleepy in the beginning," stated Vickers, which explains the sluggish play to open.
The Spartans will retake the court to face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 North Carolina Central and No. 5 Coppin State on Friday, March 10.
Maryland Eastern Shore Upsets Morgan State in MEAC Quarters; Credit: Nick Sutton, MEAC
Morgan State vs. Maryland Eastern-Shore
In the second quarterfinal matchup, the No. 2 Morgan State Bears faced the No. 7 Maryland Eastern-Shore (UMES) Hawks. Unlike the opening contest, this matchup immediately had the classic feel of a March madness game as both teams came out swinging. An opening quarter that featured four lead changes, physical play, and tight defense resulted in a tense conclusion, with UMES holding a slim three-point advantage.
With the slight edge, UMES seized the moment and came out the gates blazing to an 11 - 0 second-quarter run. Defensively, UMES played an effective 3-2 zone defense that disrupted the Bears' offensive rhythm and forced five Morgan State turnovers during that stretch.
UMES led 26 - 12 at the 4:16 mark of the second quarter as Morgan State's coaching staff urged their group to increase the intensity on defense. Junior guard Sedayjha Payne heeded the call for Morgan State as her big steal led to a Charlene Shepherd jumper which shifted the momentum. Morgan State scored 11 unanswered points to reduce the UMES lead to six points at the half.
Morgan State started the second half seeking to reaffirm their No. 2 seeding as evidenced by full-court pressure that impacted Maryland Eastern-Shore's flow on offense. Gaining control of the game with tough defense translated to more energy and better overall offense as the Bears earned a six-point advantage with less than a minute to play in the 3rd quarter. Morgan State led UMES 40-36 after three quarters.
Strong defense was the theme throughout this tight battle. The fourth quarter would come down to who could get the most stops. That team was UMES, as the Hawks held Morgan State to a mere six points in the fourth quarter. Morgan State shot 25.5% from the field in the fourth quarter, falling to UMES 49 - 46. The victory for UMES marks the third time since 2015 that the Hawks defeated a Top 2 seed in the MEAC tournament.
Maryland Eastern-Shore will resume action to face the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 1 Howard and No. 6 Delaware State at 2 pm on Friday, March 10.
MEAC MEN'S DIVISION QUATERFINALS
Howard vs. South Carolina State
In the first game of the men's slate, the No. 1 Howard Bison faced the No. 8 South Carolina State Bulldogs. Outmatched, South Carolina State sought to make the game chippy with physical play and relentless chatter.
The strategy seemed practical as the Bulldogs trailed Howard by only five points midway through the first half. However, a Marcus Dockery 3-pointer with 8:31 remaining gave Howard an eight-point advantage, and the rout was on from there.
Top-Seeded Howard Upends South Carolina State; Credit: Nick Sutton, MEAC
At halftime, Howard led South Carolina State 38-21 while flexing their superiority as the No. 1 seed.
Howard opened the second half on a 10-2 run to expand their lead to 51-23 with 16:16 remaining. The Bison lead grew to an astounding 43 points en route to a 91-55 victory. Howard shot 50.7% from the field and forced 20 turnovers defensively.
Following the victory, Howard head coach Kenneth Blakeney touched on how well his team played today. "What's really cool about the way we played is I love the way we defended," exclaimed Blakeney earning his second MEAC tournament victory as a head coach.
Sophomore Bryce Harris led Howard in scoring with 20 points.
The Howard Bison resume play on Friday, facing the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 4 Maryland Eastern-Shore and No.5 Morgan State.
North Carolina Central vs. Delaware State
In the final game of the evening, the #3 seed North Carolina Central (NCCU) Eagles faced the #6 seed Delaware State Hornets. The Eagles entered Wednesday's contest, winners of seven straight, arguably playing the best basketball of any team in the conference.
The contest was tight early on, with Delaware State holding a five-point edge in the game's opening minutes before NCCU began to lock in defensively. The Eagles forced four turnovers in three minutes, spurring a 7-0 NCCU run. Strong defense has been the catalyst for NCCU's hot streak, which continued tonight.
N.C. Central Rolls Pass Delaware State in MEAC Quarterfinals; Credit: Nick Sutton, MEAC
Following the first half's midway point, the Eagles opened up an eight-point advantage and led 37-24 at the break.
NCCU's defense in the second half remained suffocating as the Eagles applied constant ball pressure and closed driving lanes for Delaware State. The defensive effort tonight was anchored by senior point guard Eric Boone who head coach LeVelle Moton raved about after the game.
"Eric Boone, I think he's the best defensive point guard in the country, and I just think he gives a different type of energy," stated Moton, who continued preaching defense even as his team gained firm control in the second half.
At the 15:33 mark, NCCU led 51-27, coasting to an 89-59 victory over Delaware State.
North Carolina Central now awaits the winner of the quarterfinal matchup between No. 3 Norfolk State vs. No. 6 Coppin State.
The MEAC tournament quarterfinal continues at 12 PM ET on Thursday, March 9.