DURHAM, NC --- Senior center
Victoria Gonzales and junior forward
Sydni Johnson each scored 20 points and freshman guard
Shaylon Tarver contributed 13 off the bench to lead the Howard women's basketball team to its first win of the season, a 68-61 triumph over North Carolina Central in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action Monday evening at McDougald-McLendon Arena.
The victory for the Bison (1-9, 1-1 MEAC) was also the first for new Howard head coach
Ty Grace as a Division I head coach.
While Howard was able to celebrate in the end, things did not look good for the Bison early on as the Eagles (1-6, 1-1 MEAC) bolted out to a 12-0 lead to start the game.
However, Howard would find its rhythm began to work its way its back into the game as Johnson and Gonzales combined to hit on 10-of-19 from the field in the first half, giving the Bison a 42-36 lead at the half.
Coach Grace talked about that opening stretch after the game: "Before the game I talked to the team about setting the tone, but NCCU jumped out on us early. After we got some stops, we were able to settle in offensively and play our game."HU began to extend its lead to as many as 10 twice in the third period as redshirt freshman guard
Essence Brown and Tarver took turns scoring key baskets.
North Carolina Central tried to cut into the lead, but each time, turnovers foiled their attempts.
Sophomore guard
Tajzhane Dopson played a key role as she recorded a career-high eight assists to go along with four points and three blocks. Freshman center
Kiana Thomas quietly was a defensive force for Howard, blocking three shots and coming up with three steals in what was a team effort.
Howard's all-around play against the Eagles was the key to the victory: for the first time all season, the Bison offense posted an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.0 or better (18 assists/18 turnovers) and its defense limited the hosts to 31 percent shooting from the field and blocked a season-high six blocks
North Carolina Central was led by Morgan Jones' 17 points, Tisha Dixon's double double (13 points, 10 rebounds) and Maya Jackson's 12 points off the bench.
NEXT UPHoward will end its current road trip with a contest against Mount St. Mary's on Saturday, December 12 at 2 p.m. in Emmitsburg, MD.
