New York, NY—There was much anticipation on the return of James "J-Byrd" Daniel, III and James "JT" Miller that some may have overlooked the fact that dynamic duo had not played together since Game 5 of last season. It was the MEAC opener and the Bison were playing a Florida A&M team that was on a 10-game slide. It seemed like the ideal setup for their return. 

But after the adrenalin wore off from a 10-1 start for Howard, the Rattlers shot the lights out and took control of the game. Howard, for their part, refused to quit after trailing by 17 points at one time and rallied to get within six twice until FAMU put the game away with some deft free throw shooting down the stretch. 

But Daniel and Miller appeared to keep it in perspective. 

"It was good to get back out there, but it is going to take a little while for us to get chemistry," said Daniel, who led all scorers with 24 points. "We have to get used to playing with each other. We are not overly concerned because the key like Coach Nick (Kevin Nickelberry) says is to win the tournament (MEAC)." 

Added Miller, who added 18 points in his first action since breaking a hand in the University of Maryland game: There were some good things that we did, but there are a lot of things that we need to do to get that chemistry that we need to be successful." 

The Bison had been playing with makeshift lineups all season due to an unbelievable number of injuries which included playing without four of the starters during one stretch. It should pay dividends later in the season as the reserves will be ready to contribute. A case in point: Freshman guard Charles "CJ" Williams, who had been starting Miller and Daniel's absence, came off the bench in the second half and fueled the comeback from the deficit with 12 points. The talented freshman, who has been named MEAC Rookie of the Week for three straight weeks, helps provide depth. 

Howard (3-12) hopes to halt its four-game slide when it takes on Columbia on Saturday in New York at 7 pm. The Lions (5-7) have a new coach and they rely on the balanced scoring of Luke Petrasek (15.1 ppg), Nate Hickman (14.1 ppg) and Mike Smith (12.9 ppg). Columbia is coming off an impressive 98-73 road win at Maine. The Lions defeated the Bison 72-59 last season in their first meeting. 

"I still believe in these young men,"said Nickelberry. "They have been through a lot but we still have a chance to be successful." 

NEXT UP: The Bison get back to conference play next Saturday when they travel to Princess Anne, MD to take on the Hawks of the University of Maryland Easter Shore at 4 pm.