The game was tightly contested throughout as neither team was able to take control.  The Bison (3-15, 1-2 in the MEAC) were able to take the game's biggest lead at 21-12 midway through the first half until the Tigers (5-12, 3-0 in the MEAC) ran off a 10-0 run during a 5:23 span to take a 22-21 lead to the locker room.

Savannah State used the momentum to score the first four points of the second half and build its biggest lead at 26-21.

From there, the two teams slugged it out.  Alante Fenner and Joshua Montgomery took turns scoring for the visitors, combining for 25 of the Tigers 34 second half points.  But Daniel countered by connecting on four of six from the floor, including a perfect three-for-three from beyond the arc.

There were 10 ties and eight lead changes.  When it was all said and done, it came down to free throws:  the Tigers converted on 73 percent (22 of 30) while the Bison, who came into the game shooting almost 70 percent as a team, shot a season low 50 percent (11 of 22).

"Savannah is a good team, they won both of their league games by double digits," said Howard Coach Kevin Nickelberry. "They are a tough physical team.  I thought for us having a young team we fought back, we just didn't make some of the plays. Free throws was huge issue for us. We missed a lot of free throws.  We beat them in every category but at the free-throw line, and that proved to be the difference."

Savannah State was led by Fenner with 13 and Montgomery with 12.  The Tigers played most of the contest without the services of their senior forward Jyle Smith, who scored six points and grabbed two rebounds before fouling out.  Smith was coming a 14-point, 20-rebound performance in the victor over Coppin State on Saturday.

Daniel, who had missed the last five games due to a injured toe, hit on 6 of 13 from the floor and four of eight from three-point range.  Prince Okoroh, the team's second leading scorer, contributed 11 points, five below his average.  Freshman center Marcel Boyd scored six points but grabbed 10 rebounds.

"Their whole defense was focused on Prince, and every time he touched the ball there was four or five guys around him," noted Nickelberry. " It is a learning experience for him.  League play means a lot to everybody, and everybody knows what you are going to run.  He's going to have to learn from this experience. He may have to make the extra pass or take the shot that they give him instead of taking an extra dribble."

The Bison will try to rebound when they host Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday at 4 pm in Burr Gymnasium.