Dover, DE—James "J-Bird" Daniel scored 15 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, but it was the play of his backcourt mate, James "JT" Miller who proved to be the difference as he scored eight of his 12 points in the second half, including a key three pointer and a free throw down the stretch to help Howard pull out a hard-fought 55-53 win over Delaware State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's game at Memorial Hall.  The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Bison (7-22, 5-9 in the MEAC), who swept the Hornets this season.
                  Howard extended its halftime lead of 24-20 to 12 at 41-29 at the 13:38 mark.  Most of the damage was done by  Daniel, a freshman guard  who connected on three of four from beyond the arc in the second half.  When the leading scorer in the MEAC at 22 points per game  wasn't knocking down threes, he forced the Hornets to foul and he made them pay by hitting on all six of his attempts in the second stanza.
                  Then Delaware State (9-19, 5-10 in the MEAC) staged a rally on the scoring of Casey Walker, Tyshawn Bell and Chris Lewis, who combined to cut the deficit to 50-49.  Miller, who scored the game winner in the early contest between the two teams in December, nailed a big three from the corner after getting a rebound following his own miss.  Delaware State got some free throws from Walker to cut the deficit to 53-52. 
                  The Bison clamped down on defense and forced errant shots.  The Hornets, forced to foul, sent Prince Okoroh and Miller to the free throw line where they each hit one of two to close out the scoring.  With seven seconds left, the Hornets called a timeout and set up a play for Walker, whose three-point shot went awry.  Oliver Ellison corralled the ball and the Bison escaped with a win.
                  "We have been asking JT to play this way all season," said Howard Coach Kevin Nickelberry.  "He has been playing better of late.  When he plays with effort, energy and confidence, it's a big plus for us.  I have said all along that he and J-Bird could become one of the best backcourts in this league."
                  Okoroh finished with nine points and six rebounds while Ellison and Tyler Stone came up big on the defensive end, combining for 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.
                  "The play of Oliver, Tyler and Prince was huge in this win," said Nickelberry.  "Their work on defense and on the boards was something we have been looking for.  This was truly a team effort.  We have played a lot of close games.  If we continue to play with energy, effort and confidence, we will have a chance to win games."
                  The Hornets got 12 from Walker, nine from Bell and seven from Kendall Gray.
                  The Bison will attempt to extend their winning streak when they travel to Baltimore, MD to take on Coppin State on Monday at 7 pm while the Hornets close out their regular season at Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday.

Dover, DE—James "J-Bird" Daniel scored 15 of his game-high 22 points in the second half, but it was the play of his backcourt mate, James "JT" Miller who proved to be the difference as he scored eight of his 12 points in the second half, including a key three pointer and a free throw down the stretch to help Howard pull out a hard-fought 55-53 win over Delaware State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's game at Memorial Hall.  The win snapped a five-game losing streak for the Bison (7-22, 5-9 in the MEAC), who swept the Hornets this season.

Howard extended its halftime lead of 24-20 to 12 at 41-29 at the 13:38 mark.  Most of the damage was done by  Daniel, a freshman guard  who connected on three of four from beyond the arc in the second half.  When the leading scorer in the MEAC at 22 points per game  wasn't knocking down threes, he forced the Hornets to foul and he made them pay by hitting on all six of his attempts in the second stanza.

Then Delaware State (9-19, 5-10 in the MEAC) staged a rally on the scoring of Casey Walker, Tyshawn Bell and Chris Lewis, who combined to cut the deficit to 50-49.  Miller, who scored the game winner in the early contest between the two teams in December, nailed a big three from the corner after getting a rebound following his own miss.  Delaware State got some free throws from Walker to cut the deficit to 53-52. 

The Bison clamped down on defense and forced errant shots.  The Hornets, forced to foul, sent Prince Okoroh and Miller to the free throw line where they each hit one of two to close out the scoring.  With seven seconds left, the Hornets called a timeout and set up a play for Walker, whose three-point shot went awry.  Oliver Ellison corralled the ball and the Bison escaped with a win.

"We have been asking JT to play this way all season," said Howard Coach Kevin Nickelberry.  "He has been playing better of late.  When he plays with effort, energy and confidence, it's a big plus for us.  I have said all along that he and J-Bird could become one of the best backcourts in this league."

Okoroh finished with nine points and six rebounds while Ellison and Tyler Stone came up big on the defensive end, combining for 12 points, 16 rebounds and five blocked shots.

"The play of Oliver, Tyler and Prince was huge in this win," said Nickelberry.  "Their work on defense and on the boards was something we have been looking for.  This was truly a team effort.  We have played a lot of close games.  If we continue to play with energy, effort and confidence, we will have a chance to win games."

The Hornets got 12 from Walker, nine from Bell and seven from Kendall Gray.

The Bison will attempt to extend their winning streak when they travel to Baltimore, MD to take on Coppin State on Monday at 7 pm while the Hornets close out their regular season at Maryland Eastern Shore on Thursday.