Howard University is king of the MEAC once again.
HU claimed its third MEAC Tournament title in four years on Saturday afternoon, beating North Carolina Central 70-63 at the Norfolk Scope. The win punches its latest ticket to the NCAA Tournament. Howard University did not shoot the ball particularly well, but it controlled the game with toughness, depth, rebounding and poise when the pressure rose.
That has become the formula for this program under Kenneth Blakeney. Not always pretty. Usually physical. Almost always composed. And once again, championship-level.
Howard exerted control
Howard University put its stamp on the game early in the second half. After taking a 26-23 lead into the break, the Bison opened the final 20 minutes with the kind of burst that wins banners. Cedric Taylor III scored inside, Cam Gillus got downhill, Alex Cotton knocked down a transition three, and Howard ripped off a run that pushed the margin to 41-24 with 16:18 left. That 17-point lead was the game’s biggest and it gave the Bison the room they would need for the stretch run.
NC Central did not fold. The Eagles kept coming, cutting the lead to six in the final minutes. But Howard University kept answering. Gillus was the closer, finishing with 14 points and seven assists while going 8-for-11 at the foul line. Bryce Harris added 14 points and 10 rebounds. Ose Okojie had 14 points of his own, and Taylor finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds. That balance has defined Howard’s best teams, and it showed up again on the biggest day of the season.
The numbers tell the story of why Howard survived. The Bison won the rebounding battle 38-31. They turned NC Central’s mistakes into 16 points off turnovers. They scored 23 fast-break points. And when the championship tightened up late, Howard University made free throws, going 27-for-35 from the line. NC Central actually shot slightly better from the field, but Howard made the game happen on its terms.
Howard shows staying power
That is what championship programs do in the MEAC. They impose themselves even on imperfect days.
For Howard University, this title says something bigger than one win. It says the Bison are not a one-year story. They are solidly amongst the conference elite yearly. Three MEAC titles in four years is not a hot streak. It is a historic run. And now Howard University gets to take that championship swagger back to March Madness once more.