Lady Pirates Clinch MEAC Regular Season Crown
Hampton 88, Florida A&M 49
Hampton, Va. – The Hampton Lady Pirates sent it’s seniors out in style Monday night, beating Florida A&M 88-49 on Senior Night at the HU Convocation Center to clinch the MEAC regular-season crown.
On top of earning the top seed for next month’s MEAC Tournament in Winston-Salem, N.C., the Lady Pirates (20-6, 13-1 MEAC) recorded their 20th win of the season – marking the first time since 1992-93 and 1993-94 that Hampton has recorded back-to-back 20-win seasons.
Junior guard Choicetta McMillian led the Lady Pirates with 18 points on 5-for-9 shooting from behind the arc, while junior guard Jericka Jenkins added 17 points and 11 assists.
Senior forward Quanneisha Perry recorded her ninth double-double of the season with 13 points and 10 rebounds, while senior guard Laura Lewis added 12 points, seven rebounds and four steals.
The Lady Pirates shot 50.7 percent from the floor in scoring a season-high 88 points, making eight of 22 3-pointers and 10 of 14 free throws. The Lady Pirates out-rebounded FAMU (13-12, 8-5 MEAC) 44-30 and forced the Lady Rattlers into 23 turnovers.
FAMU shot 35.6 percent from the floor, making just two of 11 treys.
Jasmine Grice and Christian Rateree led FAMU with 10 points each.
After Grice hit a jumper to pull FAMU within eight, 28-20, the Lady Pirates closed out the first half on a 20-2 run to go into the intermission up 48-22 and put the game out of reach. The run started with 14 unanswered points for the Lady Pirates, including two 3-pointers from McMillian.
The Lady Rattlers went from the 6:40 mark to the 1:20 mark of the first half without scoring.
For complete story visit www.hamptonpirates.com or www.famurattlersports.com
North Carolina A&T Snaps Lady Eagles Basketball Home Streak, 82-48
North Carolina A&T 82, North Carolina Central 48
Durham, N.C. – Maintaining possessions during Monday night’s contest was challenging for the Lady Eagles of North Carolina Central as the Lady Aggies of North Carolina A&T stole 31 maroon and grey passes to seize an 82-48 victory in McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium.
From tipoff to the 9:07 mark, the Lady Eagles and Lady Aggies varied between a five to nine-point margin. Until N.C. A&T State senior Jalessa Sams netted a two-point basket to pace the visitors on an 11-point run, increasing the margin to 18, 14-32. With less than three minutes left in the half, the blue and gold would go on to score eight additional points, while NCCU poured in four.
By stealing 16 NCCU possessions and forcing 22 turnovers, the blue and gold held the Lady Eagles to 39 percent from the field, 50 percent from the charity stripe and scoreless from the long range.
Offensive leader senior Jori Nwachukwu, was the only Lady Eagle in double-figures entering into the second half with 12 points. Sophomore J’Mia Pollock pulled down seven rebounds in the opening twenty minutes. Both teams headed to the locker room for halftime intermission, with the visitors leading by 21 points with a score of 40-19.
Lady Aggies’ sophomore Jaquayla Berry led the double-figure scorers with 24 points, while Tracy King netted 14 points, and Nikia Gorham poured in 10 points. Sams and Gorham pulled down a combined 22 rebounds, as Berry distributed six assists.
For complete story visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.ncataggies.com
Perfect at Burr, HU Defeats Wildcats 54-39
Howard 54, Bethune-Cookman 39
WASHINGTON, DC--The Howard Bison successfully took down the Bethune-Cookman Wildcats, 54-39, leaving the Bison on a perfect eight-game MEAC winning streak at Burr Gymnasium, and on a three-game winning streak overall.
Howard (13-15, 9-5 MEAC) dominated the game’s momentum during the opening half and went on to lead 27-20. Keeping the Bison at the forefront were sophomores Saadia Doyle, Cheyenne Curley-Payne and Tamoria Holmes.
Doyle, who was recognized by the MEAC as one of the conference’s top performers this week and for the third time of the season, finished the game with a double-double after leading the Bison with 22 points and 10 rebounds. Doyle was also perfect behind the free throw line (6-6).
Alongside Doyle was Holmes, who went 2-for-4 behind the arc en-route to 12 points on the night. Curley-Payne went 3-of-9 from the field and chimed in with two three-pointers while also leading the team in assists with seven adding three steals. Curley-Payne tied for second on the team alongside Portia Deterville with five rebounds.
Turnovers would cost the Wildcats (12-13, 5-8 MEAC) the game as they surrendered 21 compared to Howard’s 13. The Bison would take advantage of Bethune-Cookman’s turnovers, converting them into 24 points over the course of the game.
The Lady Wildcats were led by Jasmine Elum who scored 14 points, with nine rebounds while remaining perfect from the free throw line (4-of-4).
Both Howard and Bethune-Cookman were nearly even in rebounding, (HU-33, BC-32), however the Bison fought harder near the rim to produce 16 points on second chances.
For complete story visit www.howard-bison.com or www.b-cuathletics.com
Morgan State Tops UMES 58-56, in Overtime
Morgan State 58, Maryland E. Shore 56
Baltimore, Md. - Erin Hawkins made two free throws with 24 seconds remaining in overtime as
Morgan State slipped by Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES), 58-56, at Hill Field House Monday.
UMES led, 56-52 with 2:08 left in overtime on a pair from the line by Casey Morton when Moneshia Davis knocked down a jumper and Brittany Noel hit another shot on an assist from Mahala Thomas to tie the game at 56-all with 1:14 to play.
Hawkins stole a Chelsea Sanders pass and was fouled after a Morgan State timeout, setting up the winning free throws.
Sanders scored a game-high 17 points for UMES (8-18, 5-8 MEAC), leading a group of four players in double figures. Amber Cook chipped in with 14, Adobi Agbasi had 12 and LaKendra Wilkerson finished with 10.
Agbasi, who was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the day, pulled down 11 rebounds for her second straight double-double while Wikerson had 10 boards for her first career double-double.
Hawkins led three Morgan State (15-11, 9-3) players in double digits with 15 points and five assists, Davis tallied 13 and Noel had 11.
UMES opened the second half on an 8-1 run to tie the game at. Wilkerson capped the spurt with a three-point play.
The Lady Bears then used an 8-3 run, highlighted by a 3-pointers from Noel and Hawkins, to take a 40-34 edge.
A Cook layup cut it to a 42-41 game but MSU quickly lengthened the lead to seven, as Kyla Rollins and Noel had the last five on a 7-1 run for a 49-42 advantage.
From there, UMES engineered a 10-2 stretch to take a 52-51. The run was ignited by an Agbasi jumper and Sanders steal and layup and finished when Cook hit two free throws.
Hawkins then knocked down 1-of-2 free throws with 12 seconds left and Wilkerson missed a jumper at the buzzer to send the game to the extra session.
For complete story visit www.umeshawks.com or www.morganstatebears.com
Conner Hits Game-Winner Leading Delaware State over Coppin State
Delaware State 51, Coppin State 49
Baltimore. Md.- Kianna Conner connected on a three-pointer with 7.6 seconds remaining in regulation lifting Delaware State to a 51-49 MEAC victory over Coppin State on Monday in the Physical Education Complex.
Coppin State (10-15, 7-6 MEAC) had one final shot following a Delaware State timeout, but Shawntae Payne missed a three-pointer from the top of the key at the buzzer.
Kianna D'Oliveira hit one of two free throws with 1:38 to play giving Delaware State a 48-47 lead.
Jaleah Holsey made two free throws with 59 seconds left in the second half putting Coppin State in front 49-48.
Delaware State turned the ball over with 40 seconds to play, but after a timeout Coppin State turned the ball over with 22 seconds left giving the Hornets one last shot.
The Hornets ran the clock down and Conner hit the game winner from the left wing.
Delaware State (9-17, 5-9 MEAC) was led by Brittany Washington who scored 15 points, while Conner finished with 11 points.
Larrisa Carter led Coppin State with 11 points and nine rebounds, while Payne added 10 points.
The game featured 13 ties and 12 lead changes and neither team held more than a three-point lead in the second half.
Conner connected on a three-pointer with 44 seconds left giving DSU a 25-21 lead at the intermission.
For complete story visit www.coppinstatesports.com or www.dsuhornets.com
Spartans Find Little Offense in 62-49 Loss to S.C. State
South Carolina State 62, Norfolk State 49
Orangeburg, S.C. – The Norfolk State Spartans tallied just 18 points in the first half and was unable to execute offensively in a 62-49 loss to South Carolina State Monday evening at the SMH Memorial Center.
The Spartans shot just 30.5 percent for the game, including 23 percent in the first half, and fell to 8-16 overall and 1-12 in the MEAC with their eighth straight loss. The Bulldogs improved to 8-16 overall and 4-10 in conference play.
Freshman Rachel Gordon tallied a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Spartans, while junior Sarah Daily and freshman Rae Corbo each posted 11 points. Junior Tyisha Bridges posted five points, four rebounds and two steals.
Whitney Wiley led all players with 16 points for the Bulldogs, and Fannie Goodwin came off the bench to add 12 points, six rebounds, three steals, two assists and two blocks. Tiara Knotts had a game-high five assists with 10 points.
South Carolina State shot 20-of-52 from the floor (38.5 percent), while the Spartans were 18-of-59 overall. Neither team was effective from 3-point range, with NSU hitting 4-of-14 from long range and S.C. State going 4-of-15
Both teams had 42 rebounds on the night, but the Bulldogs held a 30-14 advantage in points in the point. NSU has failed to reach 50 points in five of its last seven games now. The Spartans got just eight points from their bench in the loss.
The Spartans jumped out on top of the Bulldogs to start the game, scoring the first four points of the contest and then taking a five-point lead, 11-6, when Corbo completed a traditional 3-point play. Bridges connected from long range in the first half for a 14-10 NSU lead, but from there, the Spartans we unable to gain momentum.
S.C. State went on a 14-0 run that lasted slightly more than seven minutes, and the Bulldogs ended the half on an overall 19-4 run. In the last nine and a half minutes of the first stanza, NSU converted on just a pair of free throws by Corbo and a basket by Bridges with 32 seconds left to go into the break down by a 29-18 score.
For complete story visit www.nsuspartans.com or www.scsuathletics.com