GREENSBORO, N.C. (February 17, 2018) – Howard University Men's Basketball team had a tale of two halves as they were unable to overcome their first half shooting woes, falling on the road at North Carolina A&T State (NCAT), 83-69, inside the Corbett Sports Center.
 
HU (8-20, 5-7 MEAC) shot a respectable 45-percent (25-of-56) from the floor, thanks to a 55-percent (16-of-29) second half effort. Howard was unable to find its rhythm in the first 20 minutes, shooting only 33-percent (9-of-27).
 
"Obviously, basketball is about making shots and getting stops," said Howard Men's Basketball head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "Tonight, we didn't make shots. We got some good looks. Most importantly, we didn't hit timely shots. We cut the lead down, but they [North Carolina A&T State] made timely shots."
 
Freshman star RJ Cole led all scorers with a game-high 21 points in nearly 40 minutes of action. The New Jersey native dished out five dimes while grabbing four rebounds in the loss.
 
Howard opened the second half on a 12-6 run, capped off by a layup from junior Cameron Lewis, and cut the deficit down to four, 42-36. HU stayed in striking distance for most of the half, holding the Aggies' advantage under single-digits.
 
Cole drained a long ball with eight remaining and cut the deficit to six, 59-53, but NCAT responded with an 11-2 spurt within a three-minute span and ballooned the lead to double-digits, 70-55; thus, putting the contest out of reach.
 
Senior Dalique Mingo had another strong performance, finishing with 18 points, including 13 after intermission.
 
"He had a good second half," said Nickelberry on Mingo. "First half wasn't great for everybody, but he fought through it. He was a big part in cutting the deficit to four in the second half. I am really happy how Dalique [Mingo] has been playing."
 
NCAT jumped out to a 14-4 lead after two freebies from Denzel Keyes. North Carolina A&T State kept the Bison at bay for most of the half, holding a double-digit advantage.
 
HU trimmed the deficit to eight with less than two minutes before halftime, but a late trey ball would give the Aggies a double-digit lead, 36-26.
 
"I love the effort tonight," Nickelberry continued. "But it's one of those games where Maryland Eastern Shore, an absence of a [Zion] Cousins isn't as noticeable as it was tonight. We got one blocked shot and we didn't control inside, which got us in foul trouble early and often."
 
Sophomore Charles Williams chipped in 11 points while fellow classmate Marcus Hall posted eight points and eight rebounds (team-high) off the bench.
 
NCAT (16-11, 9-3 MEAC) remains undefeated inside the Corbett Sports Center (11-0) with a chance to complete the perfect home record Monday (Feb. 19) against Maryland Eastern Shore. Four Aggies reached double-figures, led by Keyes and Devonte Boykins registering 18 points apiece.
 
"[North Carolina] A&T is a really tough team to play on the road," Nickelberry stated. "It's one of the better atmospheres we've played in all year. It's hard to call plays. These are the atmospheres you worry about and we're going to have to get use it because [North Carolina] Central is going to have a similar atmosphere, maybe a little louder. We're going to have to make plays on the fly without looking at me."
 
Howard ended the North Carolina trip in Durham, N.C. against North Carolina Central. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.