South Carolina State lost out on the MEAC’s automatic NCAA tournament bid in heartbreaking fashion on Saturday when Caleb McCarty committed a reach-in foul on Norfolk State’s Christian Ings with eight seconds remaining in regulation.
McCarty had just tied the game at 65-65 on a layup, catching a ricochet after Jayden Johnson tipped the ball for a steal.
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Apparently forgetting or not realizing that it was a tied ballgame, McCarty then reached in to foul Ings as he advanced the ball up court, as if South Carolina State had to send Norfolk State to the foul line to stop the clock and hopefully get the ball back for a chance to tie or win.
However, since the score was tied, Ings got two free throws and made one of two for a 66-65 lead. Drayton Jones got the rebound on Ings’ miss, setting up Johnson for a last shot, but he missed at the buzzer. As a result, the Spartans won the MEAC’s automatic bid with the 66-65 win.
Ings led Norfolk St. with 17 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Brian Moore Jr. followed by 16 points and also grabbed seven boards with two steals. The Spartans finish 24-10 and 11-3 in the MEAC as they wait to see where and who they will play in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2022.
For the Bulldogs, who led 34-25 at halftime, Wilson Dubinsky scored a game-high 24 points, knocking down all five of his 3-point attempts. Omar Croskey was the only other South Carolina State player in double figures, tallying 10 points.
South Carolina State finished with a 20-13 mark, 11-3 in the MEAC. Its 22-year NCAA tournament drought continues.
