The Norfolk State women’s basketball team and Howard University men’s basketball team enjoyed the confetti celebration as champions in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) for 2023-24 season.
Both programs won back-to-back conference titles and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, starting Tuesday and Wednesday March 19th-20th
The Howard completed its back-to-back title run with a close 70-67 win over Delaware State.
The improbable run from the sixth-seed Delaware State included two major upsets. They beat third-seeded South Carolina State in their first tournament game and beat second-seeded North Carolina Central in the semifinals.
Howard’s Jordan Hairston scored a game-high 18 points, while two of his teammates, Bryce Harris and Seth Towns, contributed with 16 apiece. The Bison took the lead in the last four minutes and wouldn’t give it back.
Hairston along with his teammates Towns and Harris were all named to the MEAC All-Tournament team and Kenneth Blakeney was named Most Outstanding Coach.
Howard will face Wagner University on Tuesday (6:40 p.m. ET) in the First Four, for the chance to play No. 1 seed North Carolina in the West Region.
The Norfolk State women’s captured their second consecutive MEAC title with a 51-46 win over Howard and is the first team to go back-to-back since Hampton in 2014.
They finished their year with a 27-5 record, going undefeated at home and only losing one game in the conference.
MEAC Player of the Year, Kierra Wheeler, led the offensive charge for the Spartans like she did all season with a double-double. She scored 22 points and grabbed 15 boards.
Her teammate, Diamond Jackson, earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player for her 12 points, four rebounds and two assists performance.
Head coach Larry Vickers won his second MEAC title and was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Coach.
The Spartans will head to the West Coast to take on No.1 seed Stanford on Friday, March 22nd. (10 p.m ET)
