CARY, N.C., April 25, 2025 – The men's bracket has the top two seeds remaining in the 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Men's Tennis Tournament. No. 1 South Carolina State and No. 2 North Carolina Central, advance to Saturday's championship match at Cary Tennis Park on April 26, 2025. First serve is set for 12 P.M. broadcasting live on ESPN+. 
 
No. 1 South Carolina State (SCSU) defeated No. 4 Morgan State (MSU), 4-3, while No. 2 North Carolina Central (NCCU) secured a 4-2 victory over No. 3 Norfolk State (NSU) stamping their place in the championship match. 
 
Match 8: No. 1 South Carolina State def. No. 4 Morgan State (M) | 4-3 
 
In a riveting semifinal clash, top-seeded South Carolina State narrowly defeated fourth-seeded Morgan State 4–3 on Friday afternoon at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C. The victory propels the Bulldogs into their 16th consecutive championship match appearance, where they will vie for their fifth consecutive conference title.  
 
The match commenced with doubles play, where South Carolina State clinched the crucial point by winning two of the three matches.  
 
At No. 1 doubles, Morgan State's duo of Makkijha Brown and Mikeal Carpenter overcame Mikalai Bankou and Novak Novakovic 6–3.

The Bulldogs responded at No. 3, with Iliyas Maratuly and Ivan Pauliuchenka defeating Niles Rachal and Mohamed Ridh Ghettas 6–4.  
 
The decisive match at No. 2 saw Julius Augunas and Aissa Benchakroun edge Yessine Kerouat and Majdi Ben Abdelwahed 7–5, securing the doubles point for South Carolina State. 
 
Morgan State quickly turned the tide in singles play, capturing the first two matches. At No. 1, Mikeal Carpenter defeated Mikalai Bankou 6–4, 6–1, while Makkijha Brown bested Novak Novakovic 6–3, 7–5 at No. 2. 
 
South Carolina State leveled the match with a win at No. 3 as Aissa Benchakroun overcame Majdi Ben Abdelwahed 6–2, 6–3. S.C. State reclaimed the lead with a win at No. 5 as Gabriel Johnson uprooted Yessine Kerouat 6–0, 6–2.  
 
Morgan State knotted the match with Niles Rachal's 6–4, 6–4 win over Julius Augunas at No. 4.  
 
With the match tied 3–3, the outcome hinged on the No. 6 singles match. South Carolina State's Iliyas Maratuly delivered under pressure, defeating Mohamed Ridh Ghettas 6–3, 6–3 to clinch the overall victory for the Bulldogs.  
 
South Carolina State advances to its 16th consecutive championship match on Saturday, April 26.  
North Carolina Central will face top-seeded South Carolina State in the MEAC Championship final on Saturday, April 26, at 12:00 p.m. ET, live on ESPN+. 
 
The Eagles will look to claim the program's first-ever MEAC men's tennis title. 
 
For additional information, including brackets, team info, and live scoring, please visit the Tennis Championship Central page at MEACSports.com.