By Chris Stevens
HBCU Sports
https://hbcusports.com/
This past weekend, the men’s and women’s basketball programs representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and Southwestern Athletic Conference said goodbye to guarantee games and holiday tournaments and said hello to each other as conference play began in earnest.
The new SWAC conference rotation kicked off with the women on Thursday, while the MEAC continues its tradition of Saturday and Monday doubleheaders. A couple of Monday’s games were moved thanks to an Atlantic Coast snow day.
Here are some of the early takeaways from the first weekend of conference games.
Jackson State women continue their run of success with a new coach
The Lady Tigers’ consecutive SWAC wins streak did not stop in Margaret Richards’ debut as head coach.
Jackson State held off Alcorn State 67-64 to run that streak to 19 straight regular season conference wins. Three JSU players hit double figures, led by Taleah Dilworth’s 19 points.
While the streak is likely to be tested sooner rather than later, it’s a positive sign that Jackson State women’s basketball will likely contend for another SWAC title under Richards, who replaced Tomekia Reed (now at Charlotte) this past spring.
A freshman shall lead Howard
In an anticipated rematch of last year’s thrilling MEAC men’s championship game, Howard forced Delaware State into a track meet and got across the finish line first with a 100-94 victory.
Freshman guard Blake Harper, a D.C. homeboy, made his MEAC debut a memorable one, scoring 34 points on 10-12 shooting from the field and 9-for-9 from the free throw line.
Cameron Shockley-Okeke pitched in with 24 points for the Bison, who shot a blistering 31-for-52 (59.6 percent) from the field and made all 25 of their free throw attempts.
Kenny Blakeney’s Bison may not score 100 every night, but with the depth they have, their chances at a MEAC three-peat are very strong.
The MEAC women’s division is strong
The opening weekend for the MEAC women proved to be the best of the bunch. Two games came down to one possession, while the others, which appeared to be runaways, were anything but.
Morgan State edged South Carolina State 55-54, while crosstown rival Coppin State had a tough time with North Carolina Central before pulling out a 69-66.
Defending conference champion Norfolk State was tested for three quarters by Maryland-Eastern Shore before pulling away 72-54, while conference runner-up Howard held off a shorthanded but determined Delaware State team 74-66.
It’s clear that Norfolk State and Howard are the favorites for the MEAC title game, but Coppin’s quick start, as well as solid efforts from Morgan State and North Carolina Central, are proof that the women’s game’s growth is not limited to PWIs and Power 4s.
Grambling men face early challenges
The Tigers were the pride of HBCU basketball last season, earning their first trip to the NCAA Division I tournament and taking down Montana State for the program’s first Big Dance W.
A new season presents new challenges, and a 73-55 loss at Prairie View on Saturday leads to the question of how Grambling will respond to the challengers ready, willing, and able to snatch the SWAC crown from their heads.
