2016 MEAC Tournament
North Carolina Central (13-18, 7-9 MEAC, 2-1 Neutral)
vs.
Norfolk State (16-15, 12-4 MEAC, 0-4 Neutral)
Wednesday, March 9, 2016 – 8:00 p.m.
Scope Arena (11,000) – Norfolk, Virgina
Video: WatchESPN.com
Audio: NCCUEaglePride.com
 
Complete Game Notes (PDF)
 
THE GAME: NCCU takes on #2 seed Norfolk State in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament, trying to make it three-straight appearances in the conference semifinals.  This is NCCU's fifth consecutive appearance in the quarterfinal round.
 
SCOUTING THE SPARTANS:
-Norfolk State challenged for the MEAC regular season title last season and finished second behind NCCU with a 12-4 record, and a 20-14 overall mark.  The Spartans advanced to the semifinals of the MEAC Basketball Championships before falling to eventual tournament champion Hampton, and participated in the Collegiate Insider Tournament.
-The Spartans feature First Team All-MEAC honoree Jeff Short (Bronx, N.Y.).  Short finished seventh in the league with 15.8 points per game, and shot 42.3 percent from the floor and 36.2 percent from the arc.  Alex Long (Clinton, Md.) was named to the All-Rookie team for his freshman season with 5.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per outing.
-Norfolk State closed its season with an 83-63 win over local rival Hampton on March 3.  Short set the pace with 18 points and five assists while shooting 5-for-7 from the arc and D'Shon Taylor contributed 15 points and eight boards.
 
SERIES: NSU leads, 28-11.
 
NCCU VS. NORFOLK STATE:
Norfolk State leads the all-time series against NCCU 28-11, but the Eagles have a 4-2 lead since NCCU transitioned to Division I and returned to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.  NCCU had won four-straight but the Spartans broke the streak with a 88-79 win at McDougald-McLendon Arena.