Norfolk, Va. – Three Norfolk State women's basketball players landed on All-MEAC Teams, which the conference released on Friday afternoon. Two Spartans made All-MEAC First Team for the first time in program history.
 
Camille Downs and Deja Francis earned First Team honors for the first time in both of their careers, with Mahoganie Williams named to the Second Team. Downs and Williams also earned spots on the MEAC's All-Defensive Team, with Downs taking the Defensive Player of the Year award.
 
Downs becomes the second NSU women's basketball player in the past three years to win DPOTY honors, with Chanette Hicks receiving the recognition for the 2019-20 season. It is also the first time NSU has had two players named to the All-Defensive Team, as the award was added in the 2020-21 season.
 
A transfer from UNC Wilmington, Downs has hounded MEAC guards in her first season with the Spartans. She's currently averaging a conference-best 3.5 steals per game, ranking fifth in the nation. Downs became just the fourth player in NSU history to record 10 steals in a single game, reaching the mark in the Spartans' win over Morgan State on Jan. 24.
 
An efficient rebounder, Downs has pulled in 10+ boards on five occasions this season. She posted double-doubles in back-to-back games against South Carolina State and North Carolina Central, earning MEAC Player and Defensive Player of the Week in the same week. She has received seven MEAC weekly honors this season, earning POTW three times and DPOTW on four occasions.
 
Francis emerged as one of the MEAC's premier point guards this season, averaging 16.7 points and 3.4 assists per game in conference play. She set a career high with 32 points against Coppin State, earning back-to-back MEAC Player of the Week honors for her stellar play in January. As the team's primary ball handler, Francis helped lead the Spartans to a share of the MEAC regular-season title for the first time in program history.
 
Nobody in the conference has protected the rim like Williams this season. She's averaging a league-best 2.5 blocks per game, ranking 16^th nationally. She has cleaned the glass with authority, grabbing a team-high 6.7 rebounds per game. Williams earned MEAC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice.
 
The Spartans now prepare for the MEAC Tournament, played locally at the Norfolk Scope Arena. NSU earned the No. 2 overall seed and will face North Carolina Central in the first round at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Mar. 9.