WASHINGTON, DC --- In the final home game of the regular season and the last contest in Burr Gymnasium for four Howard student-athletes, the Lady Bison were unable to defeat the Morgan State Lady Bears, falling to MSU 59-58 on Thursday afternoon.
The loss is HU's sixth straight, the team's worst stretch of the season.
Redshirt freshman
Te'Shya Heslip and sophomore center
Victoria Gonzalez scored 15 and 13 points off the bench respectively to lead Howard (10-19, 6-10 MEAC).Â
Howard's four graduating players combined for 13 points, eight rebounds and four assists in their last home games:
Trailing 59-58 with less than 15 seconds to go in the game, HU put the ball in the hands of Heslip, who drove the ball but was forced into a jump ball. The Lady Bison retained possession with six seconds remaining and put had several attempts to put in the game-winning shot, with Gonzalez having the last chance on a put back but being unable to convert.
Morgan's Tracey Carrington led all scorers with 20 points.
Howard struggled to separate from Morgan State (5-24, 3-13 MEAC) during the game, never leading by more than three points while falling behind by as much as nine during the game.
As has been the case in other games, the free throw discrepancy loomed large over the game. Both teams missed six free throws but Morgan State (18-of-24) had nine more attempts than Howard (9-of-15) and made more free throws than HU attempted.
Howard now heads to the postseason, as the Lady Bison have secured the No. 8 seed in the 2014 MEAC Women's Basketball Tournament, being held at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, VA from March 10-15.Â
Howard will first face No. 9 North Carolina Central on Tuesday, March 11 at 11:00 am in hopes of returning to the Championship round for the fourth straight season.
