Norfolk State wins second consecutive MEAC title, defeating Howard 51-46
The Gold standard has been set with the Norfolk State Spartans winning back-to-back MEAC Championships. They defeated the Howard Bisons, 51-46, in a down-to-the-wire matchup.
Before yesterday's matchup, the teams split the regular season series and Howard was the only team in the MEAC to defeat the Spartans. However, yesterday's game went a lot differently than the first match-up between the two.
WE PRESENT TO YOU YOUR 2024 WOMEN’S MEAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS!!! 🏆⚔️@WellsFargo #MEACHoops pic.twitter.com/WJHZZoXkyC
— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) March 16, 2024
Norfolk's Kierra Wheeler led the team in scoring with 20 points, shooting 9-of-21 from the field. She also dominated on the glass and grabbed 15 rebounds.
On the flip side, Howard's Iyanna Warren came to play and she finished the game with 19 points and shot 66 percent from downtown. Unfortunately, she did not receive a lot of help from her team. HU was held to 29.4 shooting from the floor and 28.6 percent from 3 due to NSU's defense.
Iyanna Warren heating up for the Bison🎯#MEACHoops #MEACWBB pic.twitter.com/WfZUkjRqGR
— Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (@MEACSports) March 16, 2024
Howard held Norfolk to 27.5 percent shooting from the field and 19 percent from 3. Yesterday's championship game was a defensive battle that could have gone either way.
A defensive showdown in the MEAC final
The Lady Bisons managed to take the lead with under a minute in the third quarter thanks to a Warren jumper but the Lady Spartans took the lead back in the fourth quarter thanks to a Wheeler free throw.
After the three-minute mark, Norfolk didn't score a field goal due to Howard's swarming defense. The Lady Spartans finished the game with their hard-nosed defense and at the charity stripe.
Yesterday's championship win gives NSU an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. Last year, the team ran into a brick wall as they were defeated by South Carolina. SC head coach Dawn Staley complimented their team and how well-coached they were. Things won't be much easier this year as they landed a No. 15 seed and will take on No. 2 Stanford in the first round, on Friday, March 22 at 10:00 p.m. ET.
The last Historically Black College & University (HBCU), that won a first-round game in the NCAA tournament was Howard University in 2022.