Howard Bison Defeat NC Central Eagles to Win 2026 MEAC Men's Basketball Championship

Top-seeded Bison earn NCAA Tournament bid with 78-67 victory over third-seeded Eagles

Mar. 14, 2026 at 4:53pm

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The Howard Bison defeated the NC Central Eagles 78-67 to win the 2026 MEAC Men's Basketball Championship at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Howard, the tournament's top seed, jumped out to a 38-24 halftime lead and held off a second-half comeback attempt by NC Central to secure the victory and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

Why it matters

This championship game featured a matchup of two of the MEAC's top programs, with Howard looking to cement its status as one of the conference's dominant teams in recent years, while NC Central aimed to recapture the glory of its three-peat from 2016-2018. The outcome determines which team will represent the MEAC in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

The details

Howard was led by junior guard Cam Gillus, who scored a game-high 25 points and added 8 rebounds. The Bison also got double-digit scoring contributions from Cedric Taylor III (16 points), Ose Okojie (11 points), and Travelle Bryson (10 points). For NC Central, senior guard Gage Lattimore paced the Eagles with 22 points, while fellow senior Dionte Johnson added 12 points and 6 assists. However, NC Central's upset bid fell short as Howard's depth and free throw shooting (24-of-32 from the line) proved to be the difference.

  • The championship game was played on Saturday, March 14, 2026 at 1 p.m. ET.
  • Howard previously defeated NC Central twice during the regular season.

The players

Cam Gillus

A 5-foot-11 junior point guard for the Howard Bison, Gillus led all scorers with 25 points and added 8 rebounds in the championship game.

Gage Lattimore

A senior guard for the NC Central Eagles, Lattimore was the game's leading scorer with 22 points but was unable to lead his team to the upset victory.

Dionte Johnson

The senior point guard for the NC Central Eagles, Johnson contributed 12 points and 6 assists in the losing effort.

Howard Bison

The top-seeded team in the MEAC Tournament, Howard earned its third conference championship in the last four seasons with the victory.

NC Central Eagles

The third-seeded team in the tournament, NC Central was seeking its fifth MEAC title and first since completing a three-peat in 2018-2019.

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What they’re saying

“We've been working all year for this moment, and I'm so proud of how our guys stepped up on the biggest stage. This is a testament to their hard work and dedication.”

— Kenneth Blakeney, Head Coach, Howard Bison (Howard Athletics)

“It hurts to come up short, but I couldn't be more proud of the fight our team showed. We'll use this as motivation to come back even stronger next season.”

— Levelle Moton, Head Coach, NC Central Eagles (NC Central Athletics)

What’s next

Howard will now await its seeding and opponent for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, while NC Central's season comes to an end despite their valiant effort in the MEAC Championship game.

The takeaway

Howard's victory cements its status as one of the MEAC's premier programs, having now won three conference titles in four seasons. Meanwhile, NC Central's return to the championship game shows the Eagles are still a force to be reckoned with in the conference, setting the stage for what should be an exciting 2026-27 season.