It’s now a three-game regular season as the 2023-24 MEAC regular season winds down. Or as the coaches noted on Wednesday’s fourth and final media call, “a grind.”
“It is the slim margin for error at this time of the year,” noted Maryland Eastern Shore Women’s Coach Fred Batchelor.
“We have to fight our way up,” added Morgan State WBB Associate Head Coach Donchez Graham. “Continuity has been a big issue. We don’t make excuses.”
“The whole league has been a grind this year,” admitted Jason Crafton, the Maryland Eastern Shore men’s coach.
Morgan State MBB Coach Kevin Broadus bemoaned his team’s inconsistent performances during conference play: “It’s been like a roller coaster—win three, lose three. Hopefully we can win three, then win three [in the conference tournament next month],” he reiterated. “We have to defend and rebound along with scoring.”
Despite being atop of the standings, Norfolk State Assistant WBB Coach Kevin Byrum of the Spartans said, “The deal is not done. We all got to be focused —the common goal is to win the league championship and the tournament championship.”
The Spartans men’s team also leads the MEAC, and Coach Robert Jones warned that nothing is set yet. “Our magic number is two” to either clinch a share of the MEAC regular season title or win it outright, the coach said.
“You have to play everyone like it’s 0-0,” added South Carolina State Men’s Coach Erik Martin.
Women’s basketball honors
The MEAC announced Wednesday its weekly women’s basketball honors:
Norfolk State junior Diamond Johnson was named Offensive Player of the Week, her teammate Kierra Wheeler got Defensive Player of the Week, while Howard’s Tyana Walker was named Rookie of the Week.
Johnson shot over 76 percent from the field and had a career-high 32 points in a 30-point triumph over Morgan State. Wheeler grabbed 21 rebounds and scored 46 points over two games, shot 22 of 23 free throws, and averaged 23 points in the two games.
“Diamond Johnson and Kierra Wheeler are more than players,” said Lynum of the two Spartans, who are one-two in team scoring, respectively. “They are outstanding students and leaders. They also are great people.”
Walker tallied 38 points in a 2-0 week with wins over Morgan State and Coppin State and shot nearly 47 percent from three-point range, and 41 percent from two-point range.
Other top WBB performers: Lalia Lawrence (Coppin State), Nile Miller (Howard), Joelle Johnson (Morgan State), Anjanae Richardson (Norfolk State), Mya Thomas (Maryland Eastern Shore) and Mahogany Lester (Maryland Eastern Shore).
The men’s weekly honorees were: North Carolina Central’s Po’Boigh King (Offensive Player of the Week), Chris Fields Jr. of Norfolk State (Rookie of the Week), and Howard’s Bryce Harris (Defensive Player of the Week).
King poured in 50 points for the week, along with 15 boards. Fields, Jr. had 22 total points in two wins last week, and Harris posted back-to-back double-digit rebounding nights as well as 32 total points.
Other MBB top performers: Ryan Archey (Coppin State), Justin Winston (Coppin State), Seth Towns (Howard), Jamarii Thomas (Norfolk State), Emmanuel Izumabor (North Carolina Central), and Mitchell Taylor (South Carolina State).
Final MEAC regular season schedule
MBB Saturday, March 2
North Carolina Central (7-4) at Coppin State (1-10)
Norfolk State (9-2) at Delaware State (5-7)
Howard (7-4) at Maryland Eastern Shore (3-8)
South Carolina State (7-4) at Morgan State (5-6)
Monday, March 4
Delaware State at Howard; Maryland Eastern Shore at Norfolk State
North Carolina Central at Morgan State; South Carolina St. at Coppin State
Thursday, March 7
South Carolina State at North Carolina Central; Coppin St. at Morgan St.
Delaware St. at Maryland Eastern Shore; Howard at Norfolk St.
WBB Thursday, Feb. 29
Morgan State (2-7) at Delaware St. (3-7)
Saturday, March 2
North Carolina Central (6-5) at Coppin State (6-5)
South Carolina State (1-10) at Morgan State
Norfolk State (10-1) at Delaware St.
Howard (8-3) at Maryland Eastern Shore (6-4)
Monday, March 4
Delaware St. at Howard; North Carolina Central at Morgan State
Maryland Eastern Shore at Norfolk State
South Carolina State at Coppin State
Thursday, March 7
Howard at Norfolk St/Coppin St. at Morgan St.
South Carolina State at North Carolina Central; Delaware St. at Maryland Eastern Shore
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