NCAA News Wire
Norfolk State 57, Savannah State 47
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
The Norfolk State Spartans, the host of this year’s Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament, are two wins from the conference title in front of home fans after downing the Savannah State Tigers 57-47 Thursday in the quarterfinals in Norfolk, Va.
Next up for the No. 4-seeded Spartans will be a rematch Friday in the tourney semifinals with the conference’s No. 1 seed and over regular-season champ, North Carolina Central University. The Spartans lost to North Carolina Central at Scope Arena just seven days ago, 76-70.
NCCU crushed No. 8 seed Howard, 92-46, in its opener to set up Friday’s rematch.
Guard Pendarvis Williams led Norfolk State (19-13 overall, 12-5 in MEAC) with 20 points Thursday. The Spartans, who snapped the No. 5 seed Tigers’ three-game win streak, also got 10 points and six rebounds from center Brandon Goode. Forward RaShid Gaston chipped in seven points and a team-high 10 boards.
Savannah State, which lost the only regular-season meeting between the two teams 56-49 Jan. 27 in Savannah, finishes its season 13-19 overall and 10-7 in MEAC play. The Tigers lose eight seniors.
Savannah State was seeking to make its first-ever MEAC semifinal, but the offense shot just 39 percent from the floor and committed 14 turnovers.
Savannah State, which lost its sixth straight in the series to Norfolk State, was led by two players in double figures — forward Jyles Smith with 15 points and six rebounds and guard Devin Williams with 10 points.
Norfolk State improved its edge in the all-time series and now leads, 6-3, but this was the first time the two programs ever met in the MEAC tournament.
