WATCH: Brutal foul mistake costs South Carolina State in MEAC final with NCAA Tournament bid on the line

South Carolina State apparently believed it was still trailing after a late game-tying basket

By David Cobb

22 hrs ago • 1 min read

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With a spot in the NCAA Tournament on the line, South Carolina State suffered a brutal beat Saturday in the finals of the MEAC Tournament as top-seeded Norfolk State escaped with a 66-65 win under bizarre circumstances. South Carolina State got a game-tying bucket from Caleb McCarty with 10 seconds left, but apparently he remained under the impression that his team was trailing.

McCarty quickly fouled Norfolk State's Christian Ings, who went to the free-throw line and put Norfolk State ahead by a point, which proved to be the difference. South Carolina State got one last attempt at a potential game-winning shot. But it missed, which allowed Norfolk State to secure a bid to the Big Dance.

Under the circumstances, it was somewhat understandable why South Carolina State may have been confused about the score. After trailing by 10 with two minutes remaining, the Bulldogs mounted a furious charge just to get back in contention. Wilson Dubinsky led the rally with 12 of his 24 points coming with under two minutes remaining.

Still, the sequence will be tough for South Carolina State to stomach, as a victory would have put the Bulldogs into the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2003.