BASKETBALL ARRIVED AT 3 A.M.
Grambling opened before sunrise. Howard pushed Missouri into overtime. From Norfolk to Houston, the first night of college basketball brought victories, setbacks, and a fresh set of names to remember.
“The cost of liberty is less than the price of repression.” W. E. B. Du Bois
Basketball Arrived at 3 A.M. | Tuesday, November 3, 2026
LISTEN ON AUDIO.COM LISTEN ON SPOTIFYBasketball Arrived at 3 A.M.
The season did not wait for a reasonable hour. Grambling State tipped at 3 a.m. Eastern in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and held off Northern Illinois 89–87. Isaiah Miranda scored 29 points on 10-of-12 shooting. By nightfall, Prairie View A&M and South Carolina State had rolled, Howard women had taken Missouri to overtime, and Hampton’s Kiki McElrath had scored a career-high 33 points in defeat at Houston. The results are in. The work starts now.
Men’s Basketball
| Grambling State | 89 | Northern Illinois | 87 | Nov. 2 |
| Prairie View A&M | 86 | Paul Quinn | 65 | Nov. 2 |
| South Carolina State | 94 | Morris College | 55 | Nov. 2 |
| Alabama A&M | 90 | Oakwood | 57 | Nov. 2 |
| Norfolk State | 68 | Regent | 45 | Nov. 2 |
| Yale | 72 | Howard | 62 | Nov. 2 |
| Wake Forest | 83 | Maryland Eastern Shore | 62 | Nov. 2 |
| SMU | 85 | Southern | 72 | Nov. 2 |
| Texas Tech | 76 | Jackson State | 42 | Nov. 2 |
| Murray State | 94 | Tennessee State | 64 | Nov. 2 |
| Southern Miss | 82 | Tougaloo | 35 | Nov. 2 |
| Voorhees | 70 | Georgia Southern-East Georgia | 60 | Nov. 2 |
Women’s Basketball
| Missouri | 91 | Howard | 88 | Nov. 2 |
| Virginia | 87 | Maryland Eastern Shore | 45 | Nov. 2 |
| Houston | 73 | Hampton | 65 | Nov. 2 |
| Talladega | 59 | Alabama A&M | 53 | Nov. 2 |
| Auburn | 84 | Alabama State | 35 | Nov. 2 |
| North Carolina A&T | 70 | Wingate | 59 | Nov. 2 |
| Virginia State | 63 | Norfolk State | 62 | Nov. 2 |
| Montreat | 78 | Voorhees | 58 | Nov. 2 |
Missouri 91, Howard 88: overtime.
CIAA Volleyball
| Bowie State | 3 | Lincoln (Pa.) | 0 | Nov. 2 |
| Elizabeth City State | 3 | Shaw | 1 | Nov. 2 |
Elizabeth City State won 19–25, 25–23, 25–18, 25–21.
CIAA
Bowie State swept Lincoln (Pa.) 3–0 at Manuel Rivero Hall, completing its regular-season sweep of the Lions. Elizabeth City State beat Shaw 3–1 after losing the opening set. Virginia State women edged Norfolk State 63–62 in Norfolk when Kendahl Spearman made a free throw with two seconds remaining. Norfolk State had rallied from 12 points down in the third quarter. Bowie State volleyball closes its regular season at Virginia State on Thursday, November 5. The CIAA volleyball championship is listed for November 8–9.
MEAC
Howard men lost 72–62 at Yale. Cam Gillus led the Bison with 16 points, while Cedric Taylor III and James Brown added 11 each. Howard women led Missouri by 19 and still held a 76–59 advantage with 6:41 remaining before falling 91–88 in overtime. Maryland Eastern Shore men lost 83–62 at Wake Forest despite Bobby Gardner’s 30 points; Wake Forest broke the game open with a 20–0 second-half run. The Hawks’ women lost 87–45 at Virginia. South Carolina State men defeated Morris College 94–55. Norfolk State men opened at home with a 68–45 victory over Regent, behind 18 points from Bahsil Laster and a defense that allowed just 15 first-half points.
HBCUAC
Tougaloo men lost 82–35 at Southern Miss. Voorhees men defeated Georgia Southern-East Georgia 70–60 behind 25 points from Ry’Darius Hill. Voorhees women lost 78–58 at Montreat in their opener, with Aareonna Caughman contributing 19 points and eight rebounds.
SIAC
No independently confirmed SIAC result for Monday, November 2, was supplied in this reporting check. Saturday, November 7: Benedict hosts Central State in a matchup with SIAC championship implications.
SWAC
Grambling State never trailed Northern Illinois in its 89–87 victory, shooting 64 percent from the floor. Isaiah Miranda added eight rebounds and three blocks; Dwayne Pierce scored 19 points with eight assists. Prairie View A&M beat Paul Quinn 86–65 behind Michael Eley’s 27 points, with 35 bench points and 26 turnovers forced. Alabama A&M men defeated Oakwood 90–57, led by 15 points apiece from Sami Pissis and Jalen Carruth. Alabama A&M women lost 59–53 to Talladega, and Alabama State women fell 84–35 at Auburn. Southern men lost 85–72 at SMU despite forcing 17 steals; SMU held a 32–12 advantage in made free throws. Jackson State men lost 76–42 at No. 19 Texas Tech in Trey Johnson’s coaching debut, shooting 29 percent and committing 24 turnovers. Jackson State visits Tulane Thursday; Texas Tech hosts Bethune-Cookman Thursday.
North Carolina A&T women defeated Wingate 70–59 at Corbett Sports Center. Tennessee State men lost 94–64 to Murray State in Sioux Falls, with Ty-Laur Johnson scoring 15; the Tigers shot 30.9 percent and committed 26 turnovers. Hampton women fell 73–65 at Houston despite Kiki McElrath’s career-high 33 points and her 1,000th collegiate point. Hampton forced 21 turnovers, but Houston shot 54.5 percent.
North Carolina A&T vs. Warren Wilson
Corbett Sports Center, Greensboro
Hampton at Georgia Tech
Season opener. Tip time not independently confirmed in the supplied check.
Editorial record: Monday, November 2, 2026 results and reporting details supplied for KRSB editorial review. Scores have not been independently reverified in this revision.
The First Night Has Spoken.
YOUR BRAND. OWN THIS SPACE.
Support independent HBCU sports journalism, live coverage, and the KRSB Future Voices Academy.
The Scoreboard Is Awake.
A 3 a.m. tip. An overtime escape. A free throw with two seconds left. Basketball did not ease into November. Neither should the people covering it.
Opening night does not crown a champion. It does, however, expose what the offseason promised and what the floor will actually allow. Grambling answered before dawn. Howard women came within a possession of a statement win. Hampton found a scorer in McElrath, even in defeat. November has opened its books. Every program now has an entry.