Back to back: Spartans earn second consecutive MEAC tournament title; defeat Howard 51-46 in thrilling final minutes

NORFOLK, Va. (Courtesy of Norfolk State Athletics) — The Norfolk State women’s basketball team captured the MEAC Women’s Basketball Tournament Championship title for the second consecutive year on Saturday with a 51-46 win over Howard, the first team to achieve the back-to-back feat since Hampton in 2015.

Head coach Larry Vickers ‘ second championship marks the first time the Spartans have won the title in consecutive years.

Diamond Johnson was named MEAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player, finishing the day with 12 points, four rebounds, and two assists. Vickers earned Most Outstanding Coach honors for the second straight year.

MEAC Player of the Year Kierra Wheeler led NSU with a 22-point, 15-rebound double-double on Saturday, her 14 ^th double-double of the season.

Defeating the Bison 59-53 in the regular season finale guaranteed that the next match between the Spartans and Bison would be a dogfight.

To start the first quarter, the Spartans held the Bison to 3-of-14 shooting, causing eight turnovers. Norfolk State didn’t waver on defense, as the Bison failed to make their first three-point attempt until the 4:36 mark in the second quarter.

Wheeler led all scorers at the half with six points, eight rebounds, and a block. Da’naijah Williams was pivotal in the first half as well, recording four points, four rebounds, and two steals.

The Spartans went on a 10-3 run to start the third quarter sparked by Wheeler and Johnson, the latter contributing eight points in the run.

Howard took its first lead of the game at the 1:10 mark of the third quarter. They led by as much as five points, though, as the Spartans rallied behind Wheeler in the fourth quarter.

Tied at 41-41 in the fourth, Wheeler made a free throw at 5:03 to put the Spartans up one.

A missed jumper by Williams rebounded by Skye Robinson opened up Johnson for a wide open three at the top of the key to put the Spartans up 45-41.

The Bison responded with a three of their own by Kaiya Creek to bring themselves within one score at 45-44.

Da’Brya Clark was monumental in the fourth as she recorded back-to-back steals at the 2:49 and 2:23 marks for the Spartans.

She made a pair of free-throws as the Spartans went up 47-44 with less than two minutes remaining.

A layup by the Bison at 1:27 put the Spartans only up one score, 47-46. A scramble on a loose ball a minute later gave Howard the ball with 20 seconds left.

The Bison went up with a layup in the last seconds of the game, but Wheeler swatted it away. The Spartans knocked down free throws in the final seconds, before Williams secured a clutch offensive rebound to seal the title.

Checking The Box Score

• The Spartans held the Bison to their first three point make at the 4:36 minute mark in the second quarter
• Wheeler finished with her fourteenth double-double of the season, scoring 20 points and 15 rebounds
• Diamond Johnson tallied 12 points, four rebounds, and four steals
• All-Rookie Team member Da’Brya Clark made her presence known on defense, finishing with three steals and two blocks in the win

News & Notes

• Norfolk State improved to 27-5, 13-1 in the MEAC following the win
• The victory secured the program’s third-ever MEAC Tournament Title
• Howard drops to 15-16, 10-4 in the MEAC following the loss
• The Spartans have beaten Howard in their last two meetings
• The Spartans own a fifteen-game win streak stretching since Jan. 22
• The Spartans clinched an appearance in NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament for the second consecutive season

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