Howard’s MEAC mastery: Bison clinch third crown, NCAA berth

Howard men’s basketball is a MEAC dynasty after claiming a third conference championship in four seasons.

The Bison, which won the regular season championship, beat up on North Carolina Central 70-63 on Saturday at the Scope Arena to earn another NCAA Tournament trip.

It was easy for Howard at first.

The game stayed tight early, with five lead changes and three ties in the opening 20 minutes as both teams traded blows and struggled to find consistency on offense.

Howard leaned on MEAC Player of the Year Bryce Harris’s outside shooting—he drained two early threes to spark a 9-2 run—while NC Central countered with inside work from Kelechi Okworogwo, who muscled his way to eight first-half points. The Eagles shot just 28% from the field before the break, but aggressive rebounding kept them within 26-23 at halftime.

The moment Howard won the MEAC

Howard exploded out of the locker room, opening the half on a 14-4 run capped by Cedric Taylor III’s putback dunk, pushing the lead to 48-34 at one point.

NC Central clawed back to within six on a Kyric Davis three-point play and free throws, but the Bison responded with poise: Harris, who had 14 points, hit a dagger three at the 4:17 mark, and Howard went 8-of-9 from the line in the final three minutes to ice it.

Up next for Howard is learning who they will play in the NCAA Tournament on Selection Sunday when the full 68-team bracket is revealed.

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