Howard Outlasts UMBC, 86-83, For First NCAA Tournament Win

Howard had to stave off a late surge by UMBC, but was able to fend off the America East Champions to advance to the Round of 64 of the NCAA Tournament. The UMBC Retrievers were unable to get a shot off from just shy of half court in the final seconds, ending their program-record 12-game win streak. The Howard Bison extended their winning ways to nine straight victories.

The MEAC champs don’t have a lot of time to celebrate because they have the *cough* fortune to meet the Wolverines of Michigan on Thursday in Albany, N.Y.

Howard Had All the Answers Against UMBC

The contest between the two teams started pretty tight as neither had the upper hand. What stood out was Howard’s pressure defense, which did force UMBC into tough shots through much of the first half. Led by MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, Cedric Taylor III (16 points, 6 Reb), the Bison’s defense finally started to clamp down, which allowed the offense to go on a 12-0 run for a 43-30 lead with just under 4:00 left in the first half.

UMBC then responded with a modest 11-6 run to close the half as Guard Jah’Likai King scored 10 points to lead the offense to a 49-41 deficit at halftime. More than five minutes into the second half, Howard was able to stretch its lead to 14, the largest by either team after a three from Alex Cotton (8 points, 2-of-5 from three). From there, UMBC went on a 6-0 run to cut the lead to eight, but the Bison had an answer as Cotton hit his second three to make the score 69-58.

With the score at 69-63 in favor of Howard, UMBC was slowly chipping away and found itself well within striking distance. Bryce Harris (19 points, 14 rebounds) had other plans for his team as the MEAC Player of the Year confidently knocked down a jump shot from distance. The Bison went a scorching 10-of-21 (48%) from three in the contest.

The Retrievers clawed back to within five after they forced a turnover from Isaiah Brown, which led to a jumper from Caden Diggs, who gave his squad a boost with 15 points off the bench. After Harris missed two layups underneath the basket, UMBC had a chance to move within two or three, but Diggs turned the ball over with 7:43 left.

Following the media timeout, Howard once again threw water on UMBC’s fire by netting seven unanswered points to once again move to a double-digit lead at 79-67. One of the key reasons for the Bison constantly averting crisis was the bruising play of senior Ose Okojie, who had a game-high 23 points on 9-15 FG.

Just when it appeared that the matchup was all over, the Retrievers had one last smidgen of fight within themselves. DJ Armstrong swished two free throws to bring the score to 83-76 with 1:13 left. The following possession for Howard ended with a one-and-one for the Bison’s Cam Gillus. Gillus proceeded to miss from the charity stripe, allowing the Retrievers a fast-break chance. While the fast break didn’t result in immediate points, Diggs was fouled and was awarded two free throws since the Bison were in the bonus.

Diggs made both free throws with 53 seconds left. The score was now 83-78 in the Retrievers’ favor. Next possession, Gillus was once again fouled and was awarded a one-and-one. Amazingly, Gillus missed the free throw again! DJ Armstrong confidently made a three-pointer on the other end. The Retrievers were only down two, 83-81, and this forced Bison head coach Kenny Blakeney to call a timeout.

The called timeout proved to be a wise decision as Harris, with little time on the shot clock, made a clutch jumper with 13 seconds left. Yet again, Howard had an answer for UMBC. And for the team hailing from the MEAC, it was the final answer it needed as it held on in what was a thrilling opener to the NCAA Tournament.

Howard’s Hard-Fought Triumph Lands a Date With Top-Seeded Michigan

Howard should be proud of what it has achieved this season. They were winners of the MEAC conference tournament for the third time in four seasons under Blakeney, then won their first NCAA Tournament game.

However, the program is now faced with the reality of contending with Michigan, a well-established Big Ten power that earned a No. 1 seed after posting a 31-3 record during the regular season. Chances are the Bison will be swiftly eliminated by the Wolverines, but just getting this far is something the team should not take lightly. Congrats to the Bison.