Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks vs North Carolina Central Eagles Prediction, 3/12/2026 College Basketball Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks vs North Carolina Central Eagles

Date: Thursday, March 12, 2026

Location: Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA

TV: ESPN+

The North Carolina Central Eagles (12-17) will try to beat the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks (9-22) at Norfolk Scope Arena on Thursday in the MEAC Tournament.

The Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks took the court against Delaware State and went home with a loss by a final score of 57-56 in their last contest. Concerning fouls, the Hawks ended up finishing with 9 while Delaware State finished the game with 10 fouls. They buried 6 of 17 tries from beyond the arc. Delaware State ended up shooting 69.2% from the free throw line by making 9 of their 13 attempts. In addition, Delaware State pulled down 29 rebounds (11 offensive, 18 defensive), but couldn't earn a rejection. Delaware State distributed 12 dimes and had 8 steals in the matchup. In terms of defense, Maryland Eastern Shore let their opponent shoot 40.4% from the field on 21 of 52 shooting. They also doled out 12 assists for the game in addition to forcing the other team into 13 turnovers and getting 7 steals. In terms of hauling in rebounds, they compiled 32 with 13 of them being of the offensive variety. From the charity stripe, the Hawks converted 8 of their 12 attempts for a rate of 66.7%. Maryland Eastern Shore ended the contest having earned a 43.4% FG percentage (23 out of 53) and buried 2 of 13 shots from beyond the arc.

Joseph Locandro is one player who was important in this game. He went 66.7% from the field but finished the game without an assist. He was on the hardwood for 20 minutes and snagged 4 rebounds. He notched 18 points on 8 of 12 shooting.

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Maryland Eastern Shore enters this game with a record of 9-22 on the season. They cough up possession 15.8 times per game and as a squad they are committing 18.0 fouls every game. As a team, Maryland Eastern Shore is pulling in 32.5 rebounds per contest and has accumulated 421 dimes this year, which ranks 229th in college in terms of passing. The Hawks are hitting 30.1% on 3-point shots (166 of 552) and 70.9% from the charity stripe. They currently have an average of 64.0 pts per contest (358th in D-1) while connecting on 44.5% from the floor.

On the defensive end of the court, the Hawks are forcing their opponents into 12.0 turnovers per game while drawing 16.5 fouls. They are conceding 32.7% from beyond the arc and they are 83rd in college hoops in PPG from their opponents (70.4). The Hawks defense is giving up a FG percentage of 43.5% (727 of 1,673) and they surrender 32.3 rebounds per game as a group. They are currently ranked 135th in college in allowing assists to the opposition with 405 relinquished so far this season.

The last time they took the court, the North Carolina Central Eagles went home defeated by a final of 80-64 against South Carolina State. In regard to how they rebounded, North Carolina Central permitted South Carolina State to pull down 39 in total (12 offensive). They wrapped up this game 45.5% from three-point range by hitting 10 out of 22 and ended up going 18 out of 28 from the free throw line (64.3%). The Eagles allowed South Carolina State to bury 26 of their 58 tries from the field which gave them a percentage of 44.8% in this matchup. When the final whistle blew, the Eagles went 19 for 58 from the floor which gave them a shooting percentage of 32.8%. In the matter of three-point attempts, North Carolina Central made 6 of their 24 tries (25.0%). They were able to convert 20 of the free throws for a percentage of 71.4%. South Carolina State was called for 21 personal fouls for this contest which got the Eagles to the free throw line for a total of 28 shots. They gave up possession 11 times, while getting 8 steals for the contest. The Eagles were able to collect 23 defensive boards and 13 offensive boards for a total of 36 in this contest.

Tekao Carpenter was important for the Eagles for the matchup. He made 7 of 14 in the matchup for a rate of 50.0%, and earned 4 rebounds. He totaled 21 points in his 24 mins on the court and accounted for 1 assist for the contest.

North Carolina Central has a record of 12-17 for the year. The Eagles commit 17.6 fouls per contest and they go 72.3% from the free throw line. They are getting an assist 13.9 times per contest (177th in college) and they are turning it over 12.3 times per contest. North Carolina Central has accumulated 2,094 pts for the season (72.2 per game) and they average 31.6 boards per game. On the offensive side of the court, the Eagles are shooting 43.9% from the field, which is ranked 263rd in the country.

The Eagles defensively are ranked 247th in the nation in points given up per game with 76.4. They have forced 15.0 turnovers on a nightly basis and allow teams to shoot 46.4% from the field (302nd in D-1). The North Carolina Central defense surrenders 36.2% on shots from behind the 3-point line (246 of 680) and their opponents are making 70.8% of their free throw shots. They have relinquished 15.4 dimes and 37.1 rebounds per contest, which has them ranked 308th and 327th in those categories.

Who will win tonight's NCAA game against the spread?

Guy Bruhn's Pick: Take Maryland Eastern Shore

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