Your weekly news from around the MEAC!
Sydne Vigille | The Famuan
Since the start of 2019 the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference has been continuously working to show the conference on the national scale. On the 25th the MEAC announced their 2019 ESPNU schedule for conference basketball matchups. The deal includes games being televised on not only ESPNU but also ESPN2 and ESPN3.
Of those games includes four regular season games as well as both the men’s and women’s championship games.
Heading into this week both Norfolk and North Carolina A&T continue their wave of dominance in spring athletics. Both the Spartans and Aggies picked up wins to remain unbeaten in conference play.
Norfolk set a school record for 3-pointers made with 18. Nic Thomas led the Spartans with 26 points, 21 of those points came from deep as Thomas led the Spartans to an 88-60 beatdown over Maryland Eastern Shore on Jan. 26.
Unlike the Spartans, the Aggies had a rough offensive game against hometown rival N.C. Central. NCAT instead had to rely on their defense as they held the Eagles to 13 percent shooting from three on 22 attempts. The Aggies won 51-48 to extend their win streak to seven games, the longest since their eight game winning streak during their 2009 season.
The performance of the weekend came from Norfolk, Va as Maryland Eastern Shore handed NSU their first loss of the season in MEAC play. The Hawks had an unlikely hero as Dominique Walker came off the bench to score a game high 16 points. She went 6-of-10 from the field and added 6 rebounds to an already impressive offensive performance.
Norfolk and NCAT still control the top two spots for both conferences respectively. However, after the Lady Spartans upset loss to Maryland Eastern Shore the Aggies were able to spring board to the top spot of the conference.
As January ends it is becoming more apparent that NCAT is making their argument as the powerhouse program across the MEAC. Whether from the gridiron to the track it seems lovers of HBCU sports cannot escape the competition the Aggies bring.
As the Track and Field season heats up the Aggies are making a strong case as the front runner for the upcoming MEAC championships. NCAT men are currently ranked 24th in the nation according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association and are also ranked second in the southeast.
Head Coach Duane Ross says few words but, his team speaks volumes. Ross and the Aggies have a few noteworthy goals this season including finishing in the top three in the NCAA Championships. Also, they plan to join Norfolk State as the only two schools in history to win the men’s and women’s championships in the same season in three consecutive years.