WASHINGTON (January 12, 2018) – Coach
Kevin Nickelberry and the Howard University Men's Basketball team journey south for a pair of Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contests against South Carolina State (Jan. 13) and Savannah State (Jan. 15).
Saturday's showdown starts 4 p.m. while Monday night's clash begins 8 p.m.
Fans can follow Monday's clash with SSU via
live stats or
live video.
MATCHUP PREVIEWS
HOWARD
HU (3-15, 0-2 MEAC) looks to bounce back after a tough home loss versus Bethune-Cookman (BCU), 92-87. Freshman
RJ Cole (22.7 ppg) and sophomore
Charles Williams (18.7 ppg) account for nearly 60 percent of the team's scoring. Tuesday (Jan. 9), the New Jersey native claimed his seventh MEAC Rookie of the Week award after averaging 31.0 points and 7.5 assists against Florida A&M and BCU.
"Both teams this weekend are teams looking to set tempo," Nickelberry stated. "We will have to go out and handle the runs and put two halves together to have success on the road. This will be the first time our guys will play two games in three days in conference play. We have to be physically and mentality ready for the challenge."
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
SCSU (5-12, 1-1 MEAC) snapped a three-game slide after a 63-60 road win at Delaware State. South Carolina State opened league play with a tough decision against Bethune-Cookman, 86-80. Donte Wright leads the Bulldogs in scoring at 14.7 ppg, while Damani Applewhite is the leader in the frontcourt at 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per outing.
SAVANNAH STATE
Before Monday night's showdown, Savannah State (4-13, 1-1 MEAC) hosts Maryland Eastern Shore after finishing a seven-game road trip. SSU leads the nation in three-point attempts with 635. Furthermore, the Tigers rank among the nation leaders in multiple categories, such as steals per game, turnovers forced, and three-pointers made.
LAST TIMEOUT
Saturday (Jan. 6), Cole and Williams combined for 62 points, but Bethune-Cookman slipped by HU in overtime, 92-87. The contest took place on the campus of Trinity Washington University.
HU shot a respectable 45-percent (30-of-67) from the floor, including 55-percent (16-of-29) from beyond the arc.
Cole finished with a game-high 32 points, eight dimes, and two boards after playing all 45 minutes. Williams netted 30 points on 50-percent (12-of-24) shooting in a losing effort.
"Both teams are experienced teams," Nickelberry continued. "But I like the way we have been playing, even though we had a disappointing ending last timeout."
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Howard comes home for another pair of big tests.
Saturday (Jan. 20), the Bison host North Carolina Central at 4 p.m. Monday (Jan. 22), HU meets North Carolina A&T State inside The Burr. Tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
