NORFOLK, Va. – In the 2026 MEAC Basketball Tournament Championship, North Carolina Central fell 70-63 to Howard on Saturday afternoon at Scope Arena. The Eagles finish the season 14-18 overall.
NCCU was led by senior Dionte Johnson, who played his final game as an Eagle. Johnson recorded 14 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Gage Lattimore added 12 points and eight rebounds. The loss marks NC Central's first championship-game defeat in the Division I era after previously winning all four of its prior appearances.
Howard (23-10) earned the conference's automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament. The Bison placed four players in double figures, including Bryce Harris, who earned All-Tournament honors. Harris, Okojie and Gillus each finished with 14 points, while Harris and Cedric Taylor III both recorded double-doubles.
The Eagles started strong, jumping out to a five-point lead with two quick baskets before hitting two scoring droughts. NCCU went 3:52 without scoring before the eight-minute media timeout after missing five straight field goals.
A putback dunk by Kelechi Okworogwo ended the first drought, but NCCU then went another four minutes without a basket to close the half. Kyric Davis finally ended the stretch by knocking down a pair of free throws with 41 seconds remaining before halftime. Howard held the lead for the final five minutes of the half and took a 26-23 advantage into the break.
The Bison opened the second half on an 11-0 run over the first three minutes as NCCU struggled from the field. Before the 11-minute mark, the Eagles committed three turnovers in a 3:30 span, allowing Howard to extend its lead to 49-33.
NCCU picked up the intensity in the final 10 minutes, slowly chipping away at the deficit. The Eagles cut the lead to six points on four separate occasions down the stretch. The closing minutes turned into a free-throw battle as both teams reached the double bonus, but NC Central ultimately ran out of time as the season came to an end.
NC Central shot 38 percent from the field, while Howard finished at 37 percent. The difference came in points off turnovers. The Eagles committed 13 turnovers and Howard converted them into 16 points, while the Eagles managed just six points off Howard's 10 turnovers.
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