NORFOLK, Va. – Second-seeded South Carolina State shot 61.1% from the field in the first half to build a commanding 54-25 lead over No. 6 seed North Carolina Central at the break, securing an 88-67 victory in the MEAC Men's Basketball Tournament semifinals at the Norfolk Scope Arena. 

Senior Omar Croskey led the charge with a season-high 30 points on 11-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-7 from beyond the arc, while also adding five rebounds for Coach Erik Martin's squad. 
Davion Everett provided a strong contribution off the bench with 16 points, while Colin McKenzie chipped in 14 points. 

With the win, the Bulldogs improve to 20-12 recording 20 wins for the first time since the 2002-03. SC State advances to Saturday's 1 p.m. MEAC Tournament final, where they will face No. 1 seed Norfolk State in championship game, which will be televised live on ESPN2.  

SC State will be seeking its first MEAC Tournament title since 2003, when a Cy Alexander-led team defeated Hampton, 72-67. 

SC State, which tied Norfolk State for the 2025 MEAC regular-season crown, last secured a title of any kind in 2004 when they shared the regular-season championship with Coppin State. 

Saturday's opponent, Norfolk State, last won the tournament title in 2023, defeating Coppin State 72-57 for a second straight championship. The Spartans also reached the 2023 final but fell to Howard, 65-64. The two teams split their regular-season series this year, with each winning on their home court. 

The Bulldogs set the tone early, scoring nine of the game's first 11 points to build a 9-2 lead with 17:35 remaining in the first half. After a King basket at the 15:21 mark made it 11-4, SC State reeled off 14 unanswered points to push its advantage to 25-4 with 12:24 left in the half. Croskey played a key role during this stretch, scoring seven points, including two three-pointers. The Bulldogs continued to dominate, taking a 29-point lead into the halftime break. 

North Carolina Central responded with a 16-5 run to start the second half, highlighted by a four-point play from King, cutting the deficit to 18 at 59-41 with 14:45 remaining. The Eagles closed within 16 at 64-48 with 11:38 to play but could not sustain their momentum as SC State maintained control down the stretch. 

North Carolina Central (14-19) was led by Perry Smith Jr., who finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. King added 18 points, while Keishon Porter contributed 11 in the loss. 

SC State now turns its attention to the championship game, where it will look to capture its first MEAC Tournament title in over two decades against top-seeded Norfolk State. 

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