College Park, MD---The Howard University men's basketball team faces yet another test from a local school when it takes on the Terrapins of the University of Maryland tonight in a 9 pm contest at the Xfinity Center. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU. Kevin Brown will handle the play by play and Adrian Branch, a former standout for DeMatha and the Terrapins, will provide color commentary. 

The game will also be broadcast on Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) with Kelvin Bridgers and Gary Laing calling the action. 

The Bison (1-5), who have already played Georgetown and American University, will be facing their third straight game against one of the local teams that will conclude on Saturday when they take on the Colonials of George Washington University at the Smith Center at 4 pm. 

Howard has played well of late and finally got its first victory of the season with a 71-53 home win over American this past Saturday. In that game, James "JT" Miller poured in a game-high 30 points while teammates Solomon "Solo" Mangham and Damon Collins added 19 and 16, respectively. 

Miller, a 6-4 red-shirt junior guard from Clinton, NC, is emerging as one of the top players in Division 1 basketball. He has scored 85 points in the past three games and shot a sizzling 59 percent from the field, 50 percent (7 of 14) from three-point range and 91 percent (18 of 20) from the charity stripe. He also found time to pick up eight steals during that stretch, earning him MEAC Player of the Week. 

Saddled by injured through most of his career, the explosive Miller is now healthy, has displayed versatility in his game. It has taken away some of the sting from the absence of senior point guard James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III. Daniel suffered a high ankle sprain in the preseason and is out for at least another two weeks. 

Mangham, a 6-6 senior forward from Atlanta, Ga, has also been a key after missing the second half of the season with a leg injury. He has been huge on the boards but has surprised with his outside shooting where he is connecting on a team-best 47 percent from beyond the arc. 

Collins has had to make the biggest adjustment and it is now seeming to pay off. With the loss of Daniel and his projected backup Kai Tease (out for season with injury), Collins has had to play the point guard position. Normally a guard/forward, the versatile 6-5 senior from Dallas, TX, leads the team in assists and is averaging in double figures. 

Charles "CJ" Williams will be starting his fourth game. The 6-3 freshman guard from Richmond, VA, is fourth on the team in scoring with almost eight points per game. He is also shooting 83 percent from the free throw line. 

In addition to Daniel, the Bison will be without the services of red-shirt senior center Marcel Boyd, who led the team in double doubles last year and is the rim protector. Boyd injured his foot in the Georgetown game and will not play. 

"We have had our challenges, playing without Daniel, but this is veteran team and they have made the necessary adjustments to keep things moving forward," said Howard head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "We have people playing new positions and different positions but at this point, we are nor focusing on wins and losses, but more on getting better and better every day." 

Maryland (8-1) is off to another fine start. They are led by their junior All-America candidate, Melo Trimble, who averages almost 19 per game. The Terps have had to revamp their lineup as well and have gotten some sterling plays from freshman guard Anthony Cowen (10.3 points per game; 3.2 assists per game) and Justin Jackson (10.9 points and 6.4 rebounds). 

"This is will be another great opportunity for us by playing in front of what should be a dynamic crowd," said Nickelberry. "We have to go out and compete. Melo Trimble is an outstanding player who commands attention. We will have to play our best." 

On another note, Howard senior guard Kofi Andoh, will have a heavy heart after losing his mother, Jean Wright-Andoh to colon cancer yesterday. 

INJURY UPDATE: Boyd will not play. He will be replaced in the starting lineup with senior forward Tyler Stone. 

Game Notes: /documents/2016/12/7//MBBALL_7.pdf?id=482

NEXT UP: The Bison will travel across town to take on the Colonials of George Washington University at 4 pm on Saturday.