WASHINGTON (November 22, 2018) – Howard University Men's Basketball team continues its road trip in Little Rock where they will complete in a four-team tourney as part of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Holiday Classic bracket.
 
HU opens the event with host Little Rock Friday (Nov. 23). Game-time is slated for 4:30 p.m. (ET)/3:30 p.m. (CT).
 
Fans can follow all the action via live video and live stats.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
Monday (Nov. 19), the Bison suffered their first setback of the season after an 83-69 loss at Southern Illinois.
 
Junior guard Charles Williams (Richmond, Va.) had 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting in the first half and finished with a game-high 30 points while sophomore guard RJ Cole (Union, N.J.) nearly posted a double-double, registering 23 points and nine dimes in the loss.
 
Guard Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.) added 12 points while sophomore forward Zion Cousins (Upper Marlboro, Md.) had a team-best seven boards off the bench.
 
TOURNAMENT PREVIEW
 
HOWARD
 
HU (4-1) looks to rebound after enduring its first loss at Southern Illinois.
 
"We have to play 40 minutes," said Howard Men's Basketball head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "We definitely have to come out and play 40 minutes against Little Rock. We have to match their intensity on the road."
 
Entering the weekend, Howard ranks among the nation's best in multiple categories, including total blocks (4^th) and total free throws made (8^th).
 
Offensively, the Bison are averaging nearly 92 points per game while shooting over 44-percent (153-of-347) from the field. Williams leads the club with 21.8 points per contest, followed by Cole (19.2 ppg) and Lott (14.0 ppg).
 
CALIFORNIA BAPTIST
 
Friday, California Baptist (2-2) starts the Thanksgiving weekend against Arkansas Pine-Bluff. CBU begins its inaugural season as an NCAA Division I affiliate and a member of the Western Athletic Conference (WAC). Before the season, the Lancers were predicted to finish eighth out of nine teams by both the WAC coaches and the media.
 
LITTLE ROCK
 
Since 2005, Little Rock (2-2) has posted a 125-69 (.644) home record at the Jack Stephens Center while registering a winning season since its opening.
 
First-year head coach and former NBA vet Darrell Walker leads the squad after two NCAA Division II appearances with Clark Atlanta. Four Trojans average double-figures led by Rayjon Tucker with 18.5 points per game.

"We have to do a better job in transition defense," Nickelberry added. "Little Rock likes to get out in transition and we have no problem running either. But we definitely have to handle their runs on the road."
 
ARKANSAS PINE-BLUFF
 
UAPB (0-4) seeks its first win of the season this weekend. Arkansas Pine-Bluff is led by Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Preseason Player of the Year Mataveous McKnight. He ranks among the top scorers in the nation, averaging 27 points per game, including a career-high 41 points against Colorado State (Nov. 10).
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
On Dec. 4, HU closes out its five-game road swing in Boone, N.C. where the Appalachian State Mountaineers await. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.