NORFOLK, Va. – The No. 4 Norfolk State men's basketball team fell to No. 5 South Carolina State 88-82 in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament on Thursday afternoon inside the Norfolk Scope Arena. 

Norfolk State concludes the season with a 15-17 overall record. 

Elijah Jamison led the Spartans with 24 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the floor while going a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line. 

Norfolk State opened the scoring on a jumper from Anthony McComb III, but South Carolina State answered with an 11-4 run to take an early 11-6 lead at the first media timeout. The Bulldogs continued their momentum over the next several minutes, holding the Spartans scoreless while stretching the advantage to 17-6. 

The Spartans responded with an 11-4 run to pull within four, highlighted by a My'kel Jenkins and-one opportunity. Norfolk State later cut the deficit to three at 23-20 with 5:54 remaining in the half, but South Carolina State closed the period on a 16-10 run, capped by a buzzer-beating three-pointer from Noah Treadwell to take a 39-30 lead into halftime. 

South Carolina State opened the second half with a three-pointer to extend the margin to double digits, but Norfolk State answered with a triple from Adrean Newton and free throws from Jamison and McComb to trim the deficit to five early in the half. 

The Bulldogs pushed their lead back to double figures midway through the period, but the Spartans continued to fight behind Keyontae Lewis, who scored four quick points including a dunk and a layup to make it 60-50 with just over 10 minutes remaining. 

Norfolk State continued to chip away as Devon Ellis converted a three-point play and Jamison added points at the line to keep the Spartans within striking distance. In the closing minutes, 

Jamison attacked the rim while Jordan Leaks and McComb knocked down key three-pointers to pull NSU within five. 

However, South Carolina State held on at the free throw line down the stretch to secure the 88-82 victory. 

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE 

• FINAL: South Carolina State , Norfolk State 
• Elijah Jamison led the Spartans with 24 points, shooting 6-of-12 from the field and a perfect 11-of-11 from the free throw line. 
• Anthony McComb III added 21 points, going 6-of-16 from the floor, 3-of-9 from three-point range and 6-of-7 at the stripe. 
• Devon Ellis was the only other Spartan in double figures with 14 points and led the team with six rebounds. 
• Norfolk State outscored South Carolina State 52-49 in the second half. 
• FG%: NSU 44.1% | SCSU 50.0% 
• 3PT FG%: NSU 30.0% | SCSU 27.8% 
• Points in the Paint: NSU 30 | SCSU 42 
• Second-Chance Points: NSU 15 | SCSU 20 
• Blocks: NSU 2 | SCSU 8 
• Steals: NSU 5 | SCSU 9 

SPARTAN NEWS & NOTES 

• The last time Norfolk State did not advance past the MEAC Tournament quarterfinals was in 2018, when the Spartans fell to North Carolina A&T 70-64. 
  • Note - the MEAC Tournament consisted of four rounds; 1st Round, Quarterfinals, Semifinals and Championship
• This marks the first season since 2017-18 that Norfolk State has finished below .500 overall. 
• The last time Norfolk State entered the MEAC Tournament lower than a No. 1 seed was 2022-23, when the Spartans were the No. 3 seed. 
• The last time NSU was seeded No. 4 or lower in the MEAC Tournament was 2017-18, when the Spartans entered as the No. 5 seed. 
• Norfolk State is 1-9 this season when opponents score 80 or more points. 
• The lone win in those games came against South Carolina State on Jan. 17, when the Spartans earned an 89-82 victory in Orangeburg, S.C. 
• Thursday's 88-82 final score closely mirrored the teams' first meeting this season, when Norfolk State defeated South Carolina State 89-82 on Jan. 17. 

For complete coverage of Norfolk State Athletics, please follow the Spartans on social media at @nsuspartans (X/Twitter), /NorfolkStateAthletics (Facebook), @NSUAthletics (Instagram), @nsuathletics (YouTube) or visit the official home of Norfolk State Athletics at nsuspartans.com.