NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team advanced past Maryland Eastern Shore, 77-70, in the MEAC Tournament quarterfinal at Scope Arena.
 
Jalen Myers led the Spartans (22-10, 11-3 MEAC) with a season-high 22 points, adding six rebounds and one steal. Chris Fields Jr. tallied 13 points off the bench, while Brian Moore Jr. posted 10 points on the night.

Myers provided the first points of the tournament, scoring inside before UMES (6-25, 2-12) responded at the other end with a 3-pointer. The teams traded baskets to start the day, but the Spartans took control within minutes.
 
Jaylani Darden made a pair of free throws to break a 7-7 tie, sparking an explosive 18-0 run for the Spartans. The burst included a two-handed dunk from Fields and 3-pointers from Myers and Sin'Cere McMahon.
 
UMES battled right back, though, producing a 10-0 run to get back within single digits. A string of dunks by Mading, as well as a buzzer-beating floater from Darden, sent Norfolk State to the halftime break with a 38-26 lead.
 
Fields knocked down a pair of jumpers to get the second half started but Hawks guard Evan Johnson kept UMES within striking distance by hitting back-to-back 3-pointers. Bladen slowed the opposing momentum with a hook shot, converting a fast break dunk a few moments later.
 
Back-to-back buckets from Myers gave NSU a 62-50 advantage with under nine minutes to play. Darden provided a steal-and-score to keep the energy going, before Johnson and Fields traded 3-pointers.
 
Maryland Eastern Shore showed resilience in the final minutes, putting together a late rally to keep the game interesting. Johnson drained a 3-pointer to cut the gap to six, before Perkins made another from behind the arc to pull the Hawks within five in the final minute of regulation.
 
Myers put the closing touches on his spectacular outing with a pair of free throws down the stretch, icing the postseason victory for the Spartans.
 
Checking The Box Score

• Jalen Myers led the Spartans with 22 points, adding six rebounds and one steal
• Chris Fields Jr. contributed 13 points off the bench,
• Brian Moore Jr. scored in double figures for the 14^th consecutive game, finishing the night with 10 points
• NSU held a 38-26 halftime lead
• Norfolk State shot 29-of-52 from the floor (55.8 percent), holding UMES to a 42.4 percent clip (25-of-59)
• The Spartans outscored UMES 44-18 in the paint
• Wednesday's game featured six ties and one lead change

News & Notes

• Norfolk State advanced to the MEAC Tournament semifinal round with the victory
• Norfolk State improved to 22-10 on the season
• UMES dropped to 6-25 with the loss
• Norfolk State now leads the all-time series with UMES 56-18
• The Spartans swept all three meetings with UMES during the 2024-25 season
• Norfolk State has now made every MEAC Tournament semifinal since the 2017-18 season

 
UP NEXT
 
Norfolk State advanced to the MEAC Tournament semifinal round with the win over UMES. The Spartans will play on Friday evening at 6 p.m. against the winner of Thursday night's matchup between No. 4 seed Howard and No. 5 seed Morgan State.