Women's Basketball | 3/13/2026 9:42:07 PM

NORFOLK, Va. – Cam Gillus scored a game-high 25 points, going 14-for-17 from the free-throw line, to lead top-seeded Howard Bison to a 78–61 victory over fifth-seeded South Carolina State Bulldogs in the semifinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament Friday at Norfolk Scope Arena. 

Cedric Taylor III added 16 points and Ose Okojie chipped in 11 for the Bison, who advance to Saturday’s championship game against the winner of the semifinal matchup between North Carolina Central Eagles and Delaware State Hornets. 

Howard jumped out to a 38–24 halftime lead, but South Carolina State quickly made things interesting after the break. The Bulldogs opened the second half with nine straight points to trim the deficit to 38–33 less than two minutes into the period. 

The Bison answered with an inside basket by Taylor to make it 40–33, but the Bulldogs responded with an 8–3 run to close within two points at 43–41 when Cam Clark converted a follow shot with 15:20 remaining. 

Howard regained control with a decisive 12–3 surge, stretching the lead to 55–44 with 9:05 left. South Carolina State rallied again, cutting the margin to 61–56 after Owen Bronston drilled back-to-back three-pointers with 4:17 remaining. 

However, a cold shooting stretch combined with Howard’s consistent trips to the free-throw line allowed the Bison to pull away down the stretch. Howard’s largest lead came at the final buzzer, sealing the 78–61 victory. 

Turnovers proved costly for the Bulldogs, who committed 22 compared to Howard’s 16. The Bison also dominated at the free-throw line, converting 28 of 38 attempts while South Carolina State went just 7-for-11. 

After a tightly contested start that featured two lead changes and four ties, Howard seized momentum with a 9–0 run that turned a 13–13 tie into a 22–13 advantage with 7:08 left in the first half. The Bison closed the period on a 16–11 run to carry a 14-point lead into halftime. 

South Carolina State was led by Noah Treadwell with 13 points, including three three-pointers. Guard Jayden Johnson, who scored 28 points in the Bulldogs’ 88–82 quarterfinal win over Norfolk State Spartans—was limited to 11 points by Howard’s defense. 

The Bulldogs finish the season 8–22. 

Howard improved to 24–7 with the victory, extending its winning streak to seven games. The Bison will be seeking their first MEAC tournament title since 2024 and will make their third championship game appearance in the past four seasons. 

The MEAC championship game is scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN2.