NORFOLK, Va. –  Fifth-seed South Carolina State men's basketball fell short in advancing to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) finals in an 78-61 loss to top-seed Howard Friday at Norfolk Scope Arena. 

Cedric Taylor III added 16 points and Ose Okojie chipped in 11 for the Bison.

Howard jumped out to a 38–24 halftime lead, but South Carolina State quickly made things interesting after the break. The Bulldogs opened the second half with nine straight points to trim the deficit to 38–33 less than two minutes into the period. 

Howard regained control with a decisive 12–3 surge, stretching the lead to 55–44 with 9:05 left. South Carolina State rallied again, cutting the margin to 61–56 after Owen Bronston drilled back-to-back three-pointers with 4:17 remaining. 

However, a cold shooting stretch combined with Howard's consistent trips to the free-throw line allowed the Bison to pull away down the stretch. Howard's largest lead came at the final buzzer, sealing the 78–61 victory. 

Turnovers proved costly for the Bulldogs, who committed 22 compared to Howard's 16. The Bison also dominated at the free-throw line, converting 28 of 38 attempts while South Carolina State went just 7-for-11. 

South Carolina State was led by Noah Treadwell with 13 points, including three three-pointers. Guard Jayden Johnson—who scored 28 points in the Bulldogs' 88–82 quarterfinal win over Norfolk State Spartans—was limited to 11 points by Howard's defense. 

The Bulldogs finish the season 8–22. 
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