Norfolk State women beat Howard in MEAC Championship for 3rd straight trip to the NCAA Tournament

NORFOLK, Va. (AP) — Kierra Wheeler scored 19 points, Diamond Johnson had seven points in the decisive third quarter and top-seeded Norfolk State beat No. 2-seed Howard 68-56 on Saturday in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Championship title game to clinch its third straight trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Johnson shot 3 of 4 in the third quarter and made a 3-pointer along with Anjanae Richardson during a 12-2 run to give Norfolk State a 43-32 lead. Wheeler scored seven of the Spartans’ 12 points to open the fourth that stretched the Spartans’ lead to 55-35 and they cruised from there.

It was the fourth straight meeting between the teams, and the fifth consecutive for the Bison, in the title game.

Wheeler shot 8 of 13 overall and Johnson finished with 16 points. Da’Brya Clark chipped in with 10 points for Norfolk State (30-4).

Zennia Thomas scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead Howard (21-11). Destiny Howell added 12 points.

Norfolk State opened on a 13-2 run and built an 18-7 advantage late in the first quarter. Howard responded with a 16-2 run for a 23-20 lead with 5:34 left in the second before the Spartans regained the lead at 29-26 heading into the break.

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