NORFOLK, Va. – The Norfolk State men's basketball team will compete for a MEAC Tournament title on Saturday, defeating Morgan State 58-55 on Friday at Norfolk Scope Arena in the semifinal round.

Christian Ings led the Spartans with 19 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor. Brian Moore Jr. added 14 points, with 13 coming in the second half.
Norfolk State (23-10, 11-3 MEAC) will make its sixth appearance in the MEAC Tournament championship game since 2016 on Saturday at 1 p.m.

Just a few weeks after going viral for back-to-back dunk contest-worthy slams against Morgan State, Ings gave the Bears immediate trouble once again. The graduate guard scored nine of the Spartans' first 13 points, including a rare four-point play from the corner.

Norfolk State held a 17-13 lead after Sin'Cere McMahon scored in the lane, but Morgan State produced an 11-1 run from there to take a six-point lead. The Spartans clawed back with multiple inside scores, including an and-one layup from Kuluel Mading.

Chris Fields Jr. came up with the basketball after a chaotic sequence on the defensive end, going coast to coast to push Norfolk State back in front, 25-24. Morgan State scored the final four points of the first half, though, heading to the break with a 28-25 lead.
 
Norfolk State entered Friday's game with an 18-0 record when leading at half, but the Spartans faced an uncomfortable situation with a deficit at the midway point. NSU showed poise in the situation, starting with a mid-range jumper from Moore on the second half's opening possession.
 
Morgan State held a 36-31 advantage after a pair of trips to the free throw line, but the Spartans regrouped quickly. Ings scored seven of the team's next nine points, giving NSU its first lead of the second period.
 
Remaining quiet for most of the game, Moore showed his value in the final stretch. The 2025 MEAC Newcomer of the Year knocked down a pair of tough mid-range jump shots before sinking the Spartans' first 3-pointer of the second half with under five minutes remaining.
 
Norfolk State swarmed Morgan State's guards at the defensive end, forcing key turnovers throughout the night. Jaylani Darden came up with the largest steal of the night, immediately finding Moore for a dunk at the other end.'
 
Morgan State guard Rob Lawson got a layup to fall with a foul, cutting the gap to three with one minute to play. The Bears put up two 3-pointers in the final 60 seconds that would have tied the game, but both went off the mark as Norfolk State survived another thriller at Scope Arena.
 
Checking The Box Score

• Christian Ings led the Spartans with 19 points
• Brian Moore Jr. scored in double figures for the 15^th consecutive game, tallying 13 of his 14 points in the second half
• Norfolk State shot 40.4 percent from the floor, holding Morgan State to a 35.1 percent clip
• Morgan State led 28-25 at halftime
• The Spartans outscored Morgan State 34-28 in the paint
• Friday's game featured seven ties and five lead changes

News & Notes

• Norfolk State advanced to the MEAC Tournament championship game with the victory, their sixth appearance in the title game of head coach Robert Jones' tenure
• Norfolk State improved to 23-10 on the season
• Morgan State dropped to 14-18 with the loss
• Norfolk State now leads the all-time series with Morgan State 50-19
• The Spartans clinched the season series after splitting a pair of regular season matchups with the Bears

 
UP NEXT
Norfolk State advanced to the MEAC Tournament final with the win over Morgan State, now standing just one win away from an NCAA Tournament berth. The Spartans will play on ESPN2 Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. against the winner of Friday night's matchup between No. 2 seed South Carolina State and No. 6 seed North Carolina Central.
 
For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.