Howard University (10-23) fell to Florida A&M 88-78 in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament in Norfolk, VA at Norfolk Scope Arena on March 6.

Howard freshman guard RJ Cole led the Bisons in scoring with 25 points, and he also accounted for six rebounds, six assists and three steals. However, Howard allowed the Rattlers to have four players score in double-figures and shot more than 82 percent from the floor.

North Carolina Central senior guard Pablo Rivas led his team in scoring against the Pirates with 22 points while accounting for five rebounds, an assist and a steal. (hoto by Daniel Kucin Jr.)

“They got on us quick,” Howard Head Coach Kevin Nickelberry said. “But we fought back and were resilient. We made the plays to get back into the game. In the second half, we built a lead, but we got into foul trouble, which we’re not a deep team, especially when RJ got into foul trouble.”

North Carolina Central University defied all odds and won the MEAC tournament after defeating Hampton University 71-63 on March 10. North Carolina Central senior guard Pablo Rivas led his team in scoring against the Pirates with 22 points while accounting for five rebounds, an assist and a steal.

Georgetown University fell to St. John’s University 88-78 during the first round of the Big East Tournament on March 8 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The Hoyas (15-15) couldn’t muster enough offense to keep up with their NYC rivals despite junior center Jesse Govan leading the way with 28 points and 11 boards in a double-double effort.

Georgetown junior forward Marcus Derrickson returned to the starting lineup from injury and posted 20 points, but the Hoyas could not get enough production from their role players to make a game of it.

Georgetown only trailed by six points at the end of the first half, but St. John’s pulled away in the second frame outscoring the Hoyas 46-29. St. John’s largest lead of the game was 12 points, and they cruised to a 10-point victory.

“I’m very disappointed,” Georgetown Head Coach Patrick Ewing said after the game. “But, you know, it’s hard to beat a quality team like St. John’s three-straight times. You know, they have a lot of talent on their team. They’re very well-coached. And you have to be able to play your A game if you want to beat them.”

George Washington University (15-18) defeated Fordham University 78-72 during the first round of the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament (A10) on March 7 at Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Colonials sophomore guard Jair Bolden was on fire scoring 22 points and sophomore guard Arnaldo Toro had a double-double with 11 points and 15 rebounds.

However, the Colonials could not keep the momentum flowing in the following round against Saint Louis University on March 8. Despite having three Colonials score in double-figures, Saint Louis University dropped George Washington 70-63 ending the chance of obtaining a 2018 NCAA Tournament bid. Bolden led the way again with 16 points, but it was not enough to keep the Colonials season alive.