The 2021-22 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) women's basketball season will officially tip off on Tuesday, Nov. 9, with all eight of the league's member institutions in action.
Norfolk State will be the lone MEAC program to open the season at home, as head coach Larry Vickers will tip off his seventh year at the helm when the Spartans take on Chowan at 6 p.m. in Echols Hall. The MEAC's other seven women's basketball programs will open the season on the road.
Later in the week, Coppin State will have its home opener on the newly-christened Ron "Fang" Mitchell Court at the Physical Education Complex on Thursday, when the Eagles begin the second year of the Laura Harper era against Williams & Mary. That same night, Delaware State head coach E.C. Hill will make her Memorial Hall debut when the Hornets square off against Hampton.
Maryland Eastern Shore and South Carolina State will be at home on Saturday, facing Claflin and Coastal Carolina, respectively.
Howard, which advanced to the championship game of the 2021 Air Force Reserve MEAC Basketball Tournament, has been voted as the preseason favorite in 2021-22, picking up eight possible first-place votes. The Bison, entering their seventh season under head coach Ty Grace, boast three Preseason All-MEAC honorees: reigning MEAC Rookie of the Year Anzhane' Hutton was voted First Team, while Kaiya Creek and Iyanna Warren were named Second Team.
Morgan State was picked to finish second this season and graduate forward Dahnye Redd was voted the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year. She was also one of three Preseason First Team All-MEAC honorees for the Bears, joining Ja'Niah Henson and Asia McCalla.
The 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament will be held March 9-12 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in downtown Norfolk, Va.
Here is this week's schedule of games (please note games and times are subject to change):
Tuesday, Nov. 9
North Carolina Central at Illinois, 12 p.m.
Howard at Houston, 4 p.m.
Coppin State at La Salle, 5 p.m.
Maryland Eastern Shore at Saint Joseph’s, 5 p.m.
Chowan at Norfolk State, 6 p.m.
Delaware State at Stony Brook, 6:30 p.m.
South Carolina State at Old Dominion, 6:30 p.m.
Morgan State at San Francisco, 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 11
Morgan State at Stanford, 6 p.m.
Howard at North Texas, 7 p.m.
William & Mary at Coppin State, 7 p.m.
Hampton at Delaware State, 7 p.m.
Norfolk State at Campbell, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 13
Claflin at Maryland Eastern Shore, 2 p.m.
Coastal Carolina at South Carolina State, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 14
Coppin State at Rhode Island, 1 p.m.
Morgan State at Missouri, 2 p.m.
Norfolk State at Ohio State, 2 p.m.
North Carolina Central at Appalachian State, 2 p.m.
Monday, Nov. 15
Howard at Elon, 5 p.m.