Savannah State women going to first NCAA tourney

Photo Credit: Savannah State University Athletics Twitter Page (@SavStateTigers

NORFOLK, Virginia -- Jasmine Norman was a freshman at Savannah State in 2011-2012 when the Lady Tigers won just ten women’s basketball games and finished dead last in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

That just made it all the more satisfying Saturday night as the Lady Tigers hoisted the MEAC championship trophy and cut down the nets at Scope.

Norman, a 5-foot-9 guard from T.C. Williams High in Alexandria, scored 20 points, including ten consecutive points in one stretch, as Savannah State ran away from Maryland-Eastern Shore, 65-47, in the MEAC championship game.

“This means the world to me, to all of us,” said Norman, who was named the tournament’s outstanding player.

“It’s been a such long journey. We came from being the last seed to the second seed to winning a championship.”

Savannah State (21-10) earned a bid to the NCAA tournament and will find out its first-round opponent Sunday night.

The championship game loss ended a remarkable string of upsets by eighth-seeded UMES (14-17), which after defeating No. 9 North Carolina Central, upset No. 1 Hampton and then No. 4 Norfolk State to advance to the championship game.

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