WASHINGTON (January 19, 2018) – After two tough road losses, Coach
Kevin Nickelberry and the Howard University Men's Basketball team return to Burr Gymnasium where they will meet North Carolina Central (Jan. 20) and North Carolina A&T State (Jan. 22).
Saturday, HU host the Eagles at 4 p.m. Monday, Howard meets the Aggies inside The Burr. Tip-off at 7:30 p.m.
Fans can follow the action via
live stats and
live video.
MATCHUP PREVIEWS
HOWARD
HU (3-17, 0-4 MEAC) seeks its first conference win of the season while looking to break a five-game skid.
"It will be good to play in our building this weekend against what I think are the two better teams in the MEAC," Nickelberry stated. "We have a different building process than most others in the MEAC so it's imperative that we trust the process and continue to improve each day, which I believe we have."
Freshman
RJ Cole (23.1 ppg) and sophomore
Charles Williams (19.6 ppg) spearhead the Bison attack, accounting for nearly 60 percent of the team's scoring. Tuesday (Jan. 16), the New Jersey native claimed his eighth MEAC Rookie of the Week award after strong performances at South Carolina State and Savannah State.
"I really like our young talent, especially what [RJ] Cole, [Charles] Williams, and [Zion] Cousins have been able to do this far," Nickelberry continued. "Our returning players are starting to round into shape with more playing time."
NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL
Currently, NCCU (10-8, 4-0 MEAC) ranks among the conference leaders in several categories after a strong showing during the non-conference slate. Freshmen Reggie Gardner, Jr. and Jordan Perkins have found their way into the starting lineup, and both are statistically ranked in multiple league categories.
NORTH CAROLINA A&T STATE
Before coming to The Burr, NCAT (11-8, 4-0 MEAC) faces Maryland Eastern Shore Saturday. After a three-game homestand, the Aggies remain perfect in league play. North Carolina A&T State is coming off victories against Morgan State, 69-67, Coppin State, 60-47, and Norfolk State, 71-68.
"This weekend brings a lot of challenges as well as looking forward to playing at home," said Nickelberry. "Hopefully, we will get [Zion] Cousins back after missing some games and we can get some other guys ready who have fought through some injuries in the last couple games."
LAST TIMEOUT
HU fell short on the road at South Carolina State (Jan. 13) and Savannah State (Jan. 19).
Saturday (Jan. 13), Howard came up short as the South Carolina State Bulldogs won in overtime, 91-88. Williams led all the scorers with 28 points on 10-of-16 shooting, including 3-of-5 from downtown, while Cole added 27 points, five dimes, and two boards in a losing effort.
Two nights later (Jan. 15), HU dropped a tough contest at Savannah State, 91-90, inside Tiger Arena. Williams and Cole each finished with 27 points while sophomore
Ibrahim Dosunmu recorded his first-career double-double with 11 boards and 10 points.
"Despite our record and some heartbreaking losses this year, especially in our last three conference games, I truly believe we are putting together something special with the guys that are developing," Nickelberry added. "Now with much needed game experience and the talented pieces coming in the future, a lot of our games remaining this year will be probably hard fought contests that will prepare us for a strong finish."
PROMOTIONS
Saturday's promotion is Military Appreciation Day where the first 200 students get free wings while active military in uniform enter the game for free.
Monday is Organization Night where the first 300 students get pizza. All organizations are invited to come out and support the Bison.
There are chances to win prizes at both games.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
On Jan. 27, Howard hits the road to Princess Anne, Md., where they will square off against Maryland Eastern Shore. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
