Washington, DC---The Howard University men's basketball team will attempt to end its current four-game slide when it hosts Coppin State University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference showdown at Burr Gymnasium at 4 pm.
           
The Bison (7-9, 1-1 in the MEAC), who have been racked with injuries of late, put up a valiant effort in their last outing against Cornell at home, but some missed opportunities proved to be their undoing as they fell 84-81 to the Big Red at home.
           
Howard is still without its second leading scorer, James "JT" Miller (16 points, 5 rebounds per game), who has been out with a fractured hand but could return in the next couple of game. But it is hopeful that the return of junior center Marcel Boyd and the continued improved play of Damon Collins and Keon Hill, will be a catalyst for their MEAC run.
           
Boyd, the 6-11, 220-pound junior center, who averages a little over 8 points and 9 rebounds per game, was a bit rusty coming back against Cornell and he got into early foul trouble, but he should soon be returning to the form that has people discussing him as perhaps the best post player in the MEAC.
           
Collins, a 6-5 junior guard/forward from Dallas, TX, had been in a three-game slump, but he came out of it at the right time as he put together another one of his fine all-around performances, scoring 12 of his 17 in the second half while also grabbing 10 rebounds, dealing out 3 assists and recording 3 steals.
           
Hill, a 5-9 red-shirt junior guard from Largo, MD, had a career game, scoring 14 points off the bench when the Bison were struggling to get points.
           
James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III, who is the nation's leading scorer with over 28 points per game, tallied 22 against Cornell, but only six in the second half.  He figures to have one of those games against the Eagles.
           
In Coppin State (2-13, 0-2 MEAC), Howard gets a team that is struggling, having dropped nine in a row and while allowing 86 points per game.  The Eagles are under second year head coach Michael Grant and will be hungry to get their first MEAC victory following a brutal road schedule.
           
The Bison swept the Eagles last season, but Coppin State maintains a 37-21 advantage.
 
NEXT UP:  The Bison continue their MEAC slate when they travel to Dover, DE to  take on the Hornets of Delaware State on Monday at 7:30 pm.