Watch: SC State's gaffe sends Norfolk State to Big Dance

Norfolk State Spartans guard Christian Ings (0). Katie Stratman-Imagn Images

Watch: SC State's gaffe sends Norfolk State to men's NCAA Tournament

By Eric Smithling | Last updated Mar 15, 2025 4:28 PM ET

An excruciating South Carolina State mental error allowed Norfolk State to clinch the Mid-Eastern American Conference (MEAC)'s NCAA Tournament auto-bid on Saturday.

Norfolk State (24-10, 11-3 in MEAC) squandered an eight-point lead in the final minute of regulation, allowing SC State (20-13, 11-3 in MEAC) to tie the game at 65 with 10.6 seconds remaining.

On the ensuing inbounds pass, SC State senior forward Caleb McCarty, who seconds earlier made the tying bucket, inexplicably fouled Norfolk State senior guard Christian Ings from behind, sending Ings to the line, where he made one of his two free-throw attempts.

SC State FOULS in a TIED game and loses the MEAC Championship pic.twitter.com/0l1W8OmZBm
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) March 15, 2025

SC State couldn't score on its last shot attempt, sending the Bulldogs home in one of the more excruciating ways we'll likely see a season end over the next three weeks.

SC State was seeking its first NCAA Tournament appearance in 22 years. It posted its first winning record this season in nine years and tied Norfolk State for the regular-season championship.

For all of the positive strides SC State made, it will be most remembered for the costly gaffe that potentially cost it a March Madness invite.

We can't say for sure that Norfolk State would have missed an attempt at the buzzer or lost in overtime. But either of those endings would have been preferable to how SC State fell instead. That last-second foul is the stuff nightmares are made of.

Eric Smithling

Eric Smithling is a writer based in New Orleans, LA, whose byline also appears on Athlon Sports. He has been with Yardbarker since September 2022, primarily covering the NFL and college football, but also the NBA, WNBA, men’s and women’s college basketball, NHL, tennis and golf. He holds a film studies degree from the University of New Orleans

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