Box Score Daytona Beach, FL---Howard University had one of its poorest second half shooting performances of the season, connecting only four of 21 from the field to drop a 58-47 decision to Bethune Cookman in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's game at Moore Gymnasium.
The Bison (5-16, 3-3 in the MEAC) were looking for their third straight win and appeared to be in good shape in the first half, taking a 28-22 lead at intermission. Â James "J-Bird" Daniel led all scorers with 10 points, all coming courtesy of the free throw line.
But Howard went cold in the second half and a combination of turnovers and missed shots allowed the Wildcats (4-19, 2-6 in the MEAC) to take control. Â With the young Bison committing fouls and sending Bethune Cookman to the free throw line, the Wildcats slowly extended their lead.
Howard aided Bethune Cookman's cause as it appeared to be rattled by the raucous crowd. Â Mikel Trapp put the game away by hitting three, three pointers over a three-minute stretch to close out the game.
Much of the Bison's scoring woes stemmed from the performance of Daniel. Â The team's leading scorer at almost 22 points per game, finished with 14 points, but all came from the free throw line. Â It marked the first time this season that he has failed to have a field goal. Â The MEAC Rookie of the Week, went 0 for 10 from the field and 0 for 4 from three-point range.
The Wildcats were paced by Trapp, who led all scorers with 16 and Malik Jackson and Maurice Taylor, who scored 11 and 10 respectively.
NEXT UP: The Bison return home to host North Carolina Central on Saturday at 4 pm at Burr Gymnasium while the Wildcats host Savannah State on Saturday at 4 pm.
