The previous two winners will decide the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women’s basketball championship Saturday afternoon.
Top seed and defending champion Norfolk State had little trouble defeating No. 4 Coppin State 73-44, while Howard pulled away late from a determined North Carolina Central team 69-56.
The Spartans (26-5) were led by N.C. State transfer Diamond Johnson, who at 5-foot-5, collected an incredible double-double – 30 points and 11 rebounds. Johnson is the first Norfolk State women’s player to score 30 in a MEAC tournament game. She was joined in double figures by MEAC player of the year Kierra Wheeler (19 points) and guard Danaijah Williams (12 points).
Norfolk State led wire-to-wire as Johnson outscored the Eagles in the first half by herself (19-18). She continued her torrid pace in the second half, making three of five three-point attempts before sitting down midway through the fourth quarter.
Niyah Gaston’s 12 points led No. 4 seed Coppin State. MEAC defensive player of the year Laila Lawrence added nine points, while Angel Jones and Faith Blackstone contributed eight and seven points each. Senior guard Mossi Staples grabbed a team-high nine rebounds for the Eagles, who finished the season 12-18.
In the second semifinal, 2022 conference champion Howard overcame a brief North Carolina Central lead (8-7) to take a 34-27 lead at the half, then pulled away in the second half.
Fifth-year guard Iyanna Warren led all scorers with 23 points, making 11 13 free throw attempts. Kaiya Creek added 19 points for the Bison (16-16), who forced 25 Eagle turnovers on the afternoon.
Neither team shot the ball well from the field, as Howard made just 19 of their 61 field goal attempts (31.1 percent), while North Carolina Central was barely a tick better at 20 of 62 from the floor (32.3 percent). The Eagles only took 11 free throws, making nine. Howard made 26 of 37 free throw attempts.
Janiah Jones led Central (16-15) with 11 points, and Morgan Callahan added 10.
