WASHINGTON (December 13, 2018) – With only five games remaining before league play, the Howard University men's basketball team continues its nonconference slate against a pair of tough opponents from the Atlantic 10 (A-10).
 
Friday (Dec. 14), the Bison travel crosstown to face George Washington inside the Smith Center. Tip-off at 7 p.m. Two days later (Dec. 16), HU goes to New York where Fordham awaits. Game-time is set for 2 p.m.
 
Fans can follow both contests on ESPN+.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
Saturday (Dec. 8), Coach Kevin Nickelberry and the Bison held on to knock off crosstown rival American, 85-83, inside Burr Gymnasium.
 
Three Bison scored 20 points, led by redshirt junior Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.) with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field. Sophomore guard RJ Cole (Union, N.J.) registered a double-double, 21 points and 10 dimes, while third-year guard Charles Williams (Richmond, Va.) added 20 points in the win.
 
Second-year forward Zion Cousins (Upper Marlboro, Md.) made his presence felt off the bench, registering a season-best 12 boards, six points, and four blocks in 24 minutes of action.
 
MATCHUP PREVIEWS
 
Entering the weekend, HU faces two more foes from the Atlantic 10. On Nov. 16, the Bison beat the odds and upended A-10 member UMass, 68-62, despite being a double-digit underdog.
 
For Howard to come away victorious, Coach Nickelberry knows his squad will have to play tough and smart.
 
"Atlantic 10 teams are physical," Coach Nickelberry stated. "We're going to have to match their physicality and handle adversity on the road to be victorious. We're a team that scores a lot of points and [we] can't lose our identity in both games because both teams don't want to play fast."
 
HOWARD
 
Howard (6-3) ranks 11^th in the country, averaging 88 points per game (ppg). HU is led by the trio of Cole, Lott, and Williams, who combine for more than 57 ppg.
 
"Our Big 3 have to show up," Nickelberry added. "And we must get support from the other guys in order for us to have a chance in both games."
 
On Dec. 10, Howard received 11 votes from the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 voting panel.
 
Currently, the Bison are 1-3 away from The Burr with their lone win coming at UMass. Furthermore, Cole is only 25 points away from joining Williams in the 1,000-point club.
 
GEORGE WASHINGTON
 
George Washington (2-8) looks to bounce back after a tough home loss against Valparaiso, 82-79. Three Colonials average double figures led by DJ Williams (13.8 ppg). Terry Nolan, Jr. is second on the squad with 12.4 ppg, followed by Arnaldo Toro (10.1 ppg).
 
Friday's showdown will be the 10^th meeting between Howard and George Washington with the Colonials leading the all-time series, 8-1. Last season, the Bison came up short in its season opener, falling to crosstown foe George Washington, 84-75, at the Smith Center.
 
FORDHAM
 
Fordham (7-3) comes in looking to rebound from their first home loss of the season versus NJIT, 53-50. Before the setback, Fordham picked up a big home win at Big 10 foe Rutgers, 78-70. Guard Nick Honor spearheads the Rams, posting 18.3 ppg. Jalen Cobb (10.9 ppg) and Antwon Portley  (10.7 ppg) are second and third on the team, respectively.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
Howard ends its three-game road swing against Ball State Thursday (Dec. 20) before returning to D.C. where they meet longtime rival Hampton Saturday (Dec. 22) at the D.C. Sports Complex.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.