Postgame Press Conference

NORFOLK, Va. – A cold shooting second half overshadowed a strong defensive effort, and the No. 1 seed Norfolk State men's basketball team fell to No. 3 seed North Carolina Central in the MEAC Championship game by a 50-47 score on Saturday afternoon at Scope Arena.
 
The Spartans led by 10 at the half and by as much as 12 right after intermission. But the Eagles outscored them 28-15 in the second half, as NSU shot just 4-of-22 after the break (18.2 percent). NCCU used a pair of big runs during that time to pull ahead for good.
 
NSU (21-13), the MEAC's regular season champion, will earn an automatic bit to the NIT. First round games will take place next Tuesday or Wednesday. The 32-team field will be announced at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday on ESPNU.
 
It will mark the Spartans' second appearance in NIT following the 2013 season. NSU will also be making its sixth postseason appearance overall in the last seven years.
 
The Eagles (18-15) earned the league's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
 
Sophomore Mastadi Pitt had 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting for NSU. Freshman C.J. Kelly chipped in with 13 points on 4-of-5 shooting with four rebounds. Both were named to the MEAC All-Tournament Team.
 
The Spartans held N.C. Central to 36 percent shooting for the game. NSU made 48 percent in the first half to build a 32-22 lead at the half before it disappeared in the second.
 
North Carolina Central shot worse in the second half than the first. But it did not take long for NSU's lead to dwindle. The Spartans were up 12 after senior Alex Long drained a jumper to start the second half. But the Eagles began their big push.
 
They momentarily took a one-point lead thanks to a 14-1 run after Long's bucket. Jordan Perkins had seven points during that time for the Eagles. After Kelly sank two free throws to put the Spartans ahead, the Eagles countered once again.
 
Starting with a 3-pointer from Julian Walters, the Eagles used an 11-2 run to go ahead by seven, 47-40, with eight minutes left in the game. Their lead went to eight with 4:04 on the clock on a layup by Jibri Blount, but they did not score the rest of the game.
 
NSU got a bucket from junior Steven Whitley, and senior Jordan Butler made 3-of-4 from the free throw line in a minute's span. The last of those got the game to the final margin with 2:23 still left.
 
The Eagles missed all four field goal attempts in the last two minutes of the game, while NSU missed three shots and a had a pair of turnovers. Included in there was a 3-pointer from Kelly from the right corner that rimmed out, and a last second desperation trey after the Spartans had once last chance with 8.8 seconds to go.
 
Zacarry Douglas totaled 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Eagles. Raasean Davis added eight points and 14 rebounds. They led the Eagles to a 41-29 edge on the glass. Perkins and Blount each had nine points as well.
 
The first half belonged to NSU. Pitt had a couple of buckets early on for a 7-3 lead at the start. The Eagles scored the next six points before Kelly drained a 3-pointer from the right wing. He scored nine straight points for the Spartans, who pulled ahead by a 22-16 margin with six minutes left after 3-pointers from Pitt and then Whitley.
 
NSU later scored the last eight points of the half to go into the locker room up 32-22. The Eagles had 12 turnovers at the break and 17 for the game.
 
Whitley added eight points, nine rebounds, a career-high five steals and two assists. NSU made just 16-of-47 overall (34.0 percent), including 4-of-12 from 3-point range.
 
The Eagles shot 18-of-50 (36.0 percent) overall and just 3-of-21 from long range.