This weekend’s slate of games wraps up the first round of MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) regular-season men’s and women’s basketball games.
Delaware State WBB Coach Jazmone Turner told reporters on Wednesday’s bi-weekly media conference call that the upcoming Saturday-Monday contests are basically “[a] measuring stick weekend.”
Saturday’s MBB schedule: Delaware State at Norfolk State; Morgan State at South Carolina State; Coppin State at North Carolina Central
Monday, Feb. 5 MBB schedule: Coppin State at South Carolina St.; Howard at Delaware State; Morgan State at Maryland Eastern Shore
The only non-conference contest is Howard vs. Hampton in the annual Legacy Classic in Newark, N.J., the HBCU men’s basketball showcase created by actor Michael B. Jordan on Saturday.
“We want to play well,” said Howard Coach Kenneth Blakeney. His club is in the four-team field representing the SWAC (Grambling State and Jackson State), CAA (Hampton), and Howard of the MEAC.
With February now at hand, each MEAC team is looking to shore up its respective deficiencies for the stretch run into March. That’s why this weekend is so important, said Delaware State’s Turner.
“We are in the thick of things,” she said of her club’s 2-3 record, good for sixth in the MEAC thus far. Playing Norfolk State, who’s tied with Coppin State atop the league standings, both at 4-1, “can test us on what we are,” said Coach Turner.
“I don’t know if there is a huge difference from the No. 8 team to the No. 1 team,” stressed Delaware State MBB Coach Stan Waterman. His club is tied with South Carolina State at 3-2.
“I feel we are in a real good place to move up,” added Turner.
Saturday’s WBB schedule: Delaware State at Norfolk State; Morgan State at South Carolina State; Maryland Eastern Shore at Howard; and Coppin State at North Carolina Central.
Monday, Feb. 5 WBB schedule: Norfolk State at Maryland Eastern Shore; Morgan State at North Carolina Central; Howard at Delaware State; and Coppin State at South Carolina State.
MEAC top players of the week
MEAC weekly men’s and women’s basketball honors were announced Wednesday:
North Carolina Central guard Ja’Darius Harris was named the league’s Offensive Player of the Week. Norfolk State forward Chris Fields, Jr. was named Rookie of the Week, and Howard guard Bryce Harris earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Other top performers: Tyrei Bladen (Norfolk State), Po’Boigh King (North Carolina Central), and Wynston Tabbs (Morgan State).
The women’s weekly winners: Delaware State guard Ja-Naiah Perkins-Jackson was Offensive Player of the Week; Howard guard Tyana Walker was named Rookie of the Week and Coppin State forward Laila Lawrence earned Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Other top performers include Minneapolis native Kierra Wheeler (Norfolk State), Kaiya Creek and Nile Miller (Howard), Mahogany Lester (Maryland Eastern Shore), Anjanne Richardson and Diamond Johnson (Norfolk State), Laila Fair and Amari Smith (Morgan State) and Tyshonne Tollie (Delaware State).
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