Howard Two Points Short of Winning MEAC Title

Howard Women’s Basketball Falls in MEAC Title Game

NORFOLK, Va. (March 13, 2021) – Howard University women’s basketball team saw its amazing run come up short, falling to North Carolina A&T State (NCAT), 57-59, in the 2021 Air Force Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament title game after the Aggies’ Deja Winter delivered a three-point game-winner with three ticks remaining.

With less than 90 second left, sophomore point guard Iyanna Warren (Accokeek, Md.) connected on two clutch free throws and gave HU a four-point advantage, 57-56.

Moments later, Winter drilled a trey ball with 50 seconds remaining and cut the margin down to one, 57-56.

NCAT capitalized on a pair of missed freebies down the stretch by Howard, where the Aggies’ Jasmen Walton found Winter for the win.

Howard had one-last chance to dethrone NCAT, but newcomer Cashay Dixon’s (Chicago) shot bounced off the rim as time expired.

Warren and MEAC Rookie of the Year Anzhane’ Hutton (Cedar Hill, Texas) led the way, each receiving All-Tournament honors after the game. Warren ended with a career-best 21 points, six dimes, three boards and a pair of steals. The Texas native fell just short of a double-double (14 rebounds and nine points).

Howard jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead after back-to-back fastbreak long balls from senior Jayla Thornton (Newark, N.J.) and took a nine-point advantage into the second frame, 19-10.

In the second quarter, NCAT reversed the trend with a 12-1 run and took the lead at the 5:17 mark, 20-23. HU responded with five unanswered, but a pair of free throws by the Aggies’ Chanin Scott tied the contest at 25. North Carolina A&T State outscored Howard in the final three minutes before intermission and held a four-point lead at the break, 27-31.

Thornton drilled another trey ball and tied the contest at 33, but the Aggies went on an 11-2 run and grabbed their largest lead of the game, 35-44. The young Bison clawed their way back into game, finishing the third period with nine straight points and tied the contest at 44 after three.

Both squads went back-and-forth in the final frame, going down to the wire.

Thornton recorded 12 points and six boards in the loss. Earlier this season, she became the league’s all-time three-point scoring leader while being named MEAC Player of the Year. As of today, the New Jersey native has connected on 275 long balls in her productive career and currently on track to graduate this spring in Sports Management with a minor in Journalism after cumulating a 3.8 GPA.

Howard would have to wait after the NCAA selection show to see if they earned a bid into the WNIT. The WNIT is scheduled to be played March 19-20.

(Story and Photos Courtesy of Howard University Athletics)

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.