2021-22 DELAWARE STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL
(#8) "HORNETS" (2-25; 0-14 MEAC) vs. (#1) NORFOLK STATE "Spartans" (21-6; 12-2 MEAC)
Wed. Mar. 9, 2022 - 6:00 p.m.
MEAC Tournament Quarterfinal     
(Norfolk, Va, - Scope Arena  - 11,000)
Live Video: MEAChoops.com; Live Audio: HSRN.com (DSU Broadcast)
 
 
THE GAME 
Delaware State (2-25; 0-14 MEAC) begins MEAC Tournament play with a quarterfinal round against regular season champion and No. 1 seed Norfolk State. The winner will face either No. 4 Morgan State or No. 5 South Carolina State in the semifinals on Fri. (Mar. 11) at 6:00 p.m. The nationally-televised (ESPN2) MEAC Championship game is set for Sat. (Mar. 12) at 1:00 p.m.  The Hornets have dropped their last 23 games, including a 63-59 setback against Maryland-Eastern Shore in the regular season finale last Thursday (Mar. 3). Myles Carter (gr.) is Delaware State's top player. Carter is  second  in the MEAC in scoring at 16.4 (ppg) and field goal percentage (.444), and ninth in the league in rebounding at 5.8 per contest. An All-MEAC First Team selection, he has been selected to compete in two post-season HBCU collegiate all-star games. Carter has reached double figures in 23 of the Hornets' 27 games, topping the 20-point mark in eight contests, including a career-high 32 vs. Morgan State on Feb. 26. He topped the 1,000 point mark at Delaware State on Feb. 21 at South Carolina State, and now sits at 1065 for his career. Hornets' starting center Chris Sodom (sr.) was selected as the 2021-22 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 56 blocks (2.2 pg) and ranking seventh in rebounding at 6.0 per contest. Sodom set a Delaware State record with nine blocks vs. Morgan State on Jan. 30. Shooting guard Dominik Fragala (sr.) was named to the 2021-22 All-MEAC Third Team. Fragala is 10th in the MEAC in scoring at 12.5 ppg and second in three-points at 2.2 per contest (52 total)   
 
Norfolk State (21-6; 12-2 MEAC)  has won three straight and six of its last seven games entering the tournament. The Spartans wrapped up the regular season with a resounding 83-61 win over MEAC  runner-up Howard on Mar. 3. Norfolk State guard Joe Bryant (sr.) has been selected as the 2021-22 MEAC Player of the Year after leading the league in scoring at 16.8 points per game. Forward Chris Bankston (r-sr.) is an All-MEAC Second Team pick, while Jalen Hawkins is an All-MEAC Third Team honoree. Bankston has a .727 shooting percentage this season, hitting 125 of 172 field goal attempts this season.                    

THE SERIES (Norfolk State leads 35-21; DSU leads 1-0 in MEAC Tourney Meetings) 
This is the third meeting between the Hornets and Spartans this season. Norfolk State won the two 2021-22 regular season contests, posting an 80-51 victory on Jan. 12 in the MEAC opener for each team in Norfolk, Va. Bryant scored a game-high 29 points (9-12 FG), while Bankston was 8-for-8 from the field (18 points) to lead the Spartans. NSU completed the regular season sweep with a 69-66 win on Feb. 14 in Dover, Del. Delaware State held an eight-point second half lead in the contest before the Spartans rallied back. Norfolk State has won the last 12 meetings between the teams. The Hornets have not defeated the Spartans since a 67-64 victory on Feb. 20, 2016 in Dover, Del. Delaware State won the lone MEAC Tournament contest between the teams 67-55 in 2004 in Richmond, Va.