Saturday Showdown Features Top MEAC Teams

It's a tight race down the stretch in the MEAC as Coppin State, one of three teams tied for second, takes on top-ranked Norfolk State Saturday.

The MEAC regular season race is tighter than a Diamond Johnson passing window as three teams are tied for second with 6-3 conference records.

One of those teams is Coppin State and Saturday they host Johnson and the top-seeded Norfolk State Spartans at 2 p.m.

Coppin has had a so-so February, posting a 2-2 record so far. The Eagles are trying to bounce back from a 73-51 loss to Maryland-Eastern Shore.

Meanwhile, the Spartans have been humming as of late, following up a convincing 87-25 win over SC State with a 72-44 win over NC Central. NSU is 8-1 in the conference and currently on a seven-game win streak.

NSU’s Meme Wheeler goes up for the shot. Photo Courtesy of Norfolk State WBB.

So what separates the Spartans in a race that’s coming down to the wire?

“Our toughness,” Spartan center Meme Wheeler said in an interview with No Cap Space. “I think that’ we’ve been battled tested a lot this year whether it was in conference or out of conference. We started the season without Diamond and then Diamond joined us. Before Diamond joined us, we played two Power 5 schools and I think we came together as a team and we know our end goal.”

The Spartans haven’t lost often this season en route to amassing an 18-5 overall record, but Wheeler said each loss has been a teachable moment.

“We took them losses to the chest and a few of them we took pretty hard,” she added. “But every time, we’ve bounced back. So I think coming into the tournament, our previous experience is gonna help us stay together and bounce back through anything when it comes down to the wire.”

The game will be shown on ESPN+ as well as the No Cap Space Playback channel. It’s free to subscribe and join the watch party https://www.playback.tv/nocapspace.