Durham, NC—The Howard University men's basketball team will be looking to win back-to-back games for only the second time this season when it faces off against the Eagles of North Carolina Central University on Monday at 7:30 pm in the McDougald-McLendon Arena.
It will not be an easy task for the Bison (5-14, 2-2 in the MEAC) who are coming off an impressive road win over rival North Carolina A&T on Saturday.
The Eagles (12-6, 3-1 in the MEAC) are off to a good start and have won three in a row, most recently a 64-51 road win over defending champion Hampton University. NCCU ranks among the conference's leaders in several statistical categories.
But the Bison, who have battled injuries all season, appear ready to make a run. James "JT" Miller and Charles "CJ" Williams combined for 56 points against the Aggies and form a dynamic twosome.
Miller, a 6-4 red-shirt junior from Clinton, NC, is a veteran who can score in a variety of ways and keeps defenses off balance. Williams, a 6-5 freshman guard from Richmond, VA has emerged as not just one of the top freshmen in the MEAC, but one of the top players.
Williams is coming off back-to-back games of 26 and a career-high 30 points in which he shot over 52 percent from the field and 92 percent from the free throw line. He is one of the most dangerous shooters in the league and has now begun to do other things that make him hard to guard.
Against a veteran and talented NCCU squad, Howard will have to get the same kind of production from Miller and Williams, but also the veteran quartet of Solomon "Solo" Mangham, Damon Collins, Marcel Boyd and Kofi Andoh will have to continue to contribute that way they did in the NC A&T game.
Mangham, a 6-6 senior forward from Atlanta, GA, is having his best season. He leads the team in rebounding and his range on his outside shot has forced opponents to pay closer attention to him.
Collins, a 6-6 senior guard from Dallas, TX who has been moved to the point guard position, leads the team in assists and steals.
Boyd, a 6-11 red-shirt senior center from Accokeek, MD, struggled early with a foot injury, but he has come on and give the Bison a rebounding force but more importantly a rim protector on the defensive end.
Andoh, a 6-4 senior guard has quietly been a strong contributor all season with his ability to rebound, get to the basket and draw fouls and to make free throws.
Game Notes: /documents/2017/1/23//MBBALL_20.pdf?id=515
NEXT UP: The Bison host hot Savannah State on Saturday at 4 pm in Burr before hosting South Carolina State on Monday in a nationally televised game on ESPNU at 7 pm.
