03/14/26 02:39:00
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03/14 14:37 CDT Gillus, Okojie and Harris score 14, Howard beats NC Central
70-63 to clinch NCAA Tournament bid
Gillus, Okojie and Harris score 14, Howard beats NC Central 70-63 to clinch
NCAA Tournament bid
NORFOLK, Va. (AP) --- Cam Gillus, Ose Okojie and Bryce Harris all scored 14
points, and top-seeded Howard opened the second half with a decisive run to
beat No. 3 seed North Carolina Central 70-63 on Wednesday, claiming the MEAC
title and a spot in the NCAA tournament
Howard (23-10) led 26-23 at halftime before breaking the game open down the
stretch. The Bison opened the second half on a 15-1 run, turning a three-point
lead into a 41-24 advantage with 16:18 remaining and did not trail the rest of
the way.
The Bison, who have won two of the last three MEAC Tournament titles, got 14
points apiece from Gillus, Okojie and Harris. Cedric Taylor III added 13 points
and 12 rebounds, while Harris finished with 10 rebounds.
N.C. Central (14-18) spent the rest of the half trying to recover and got
within six points several times, including 58-52 after a 3-pointer by Dionte
Johnson with 4:19 left. Howard answered each push and closed the game at the
free-throw line.
Johnson led the Eagles with 14 points and seven rebounds. Gage Lattimore added
12 points, Kelechi Okworogwo scored 11 and Jae Slack had 11 off the bench.
Howard made 27 of 35 free throws, while North Carolina Central committed 13
turnovers.
Up Next
Howard claimed an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Tournament, which begins
Tuesday with the First Four. They await their matchup and seeding, which will
be revealed on Sunday.
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