WASHINGTON (February 24, 2018) – Coach Kevin Nickelberry and the Howard University Men's Basketball team broke its brief two-game slide with a 93-74 victory over Delaware State (DSU) inside The Burr on Senior Day.
 
Both squads shot exceptionally well from the floor, eclipsing over 50-percent. HU (9-21, 6-8 MEAC) posted nearly 54-percent (28-of-52) from the field while DSU recorded nearly 57-percent (30-of-53); however, the biggest difference came at the charity stripe with Howard shooting 29 free throws than the Hornets.
 
Not only did the Bison reached the foul line, but capitalized, shooting nearly 77-percent (30-of-39).
 
"CJ [Williams] had a great first half," said Nickelberry. "He showed a lot of patience and they took him out in the second half. It gave RJ [Cole] a chance to make decisions with the basketball. When you get to the line 39 times and create 18 turnovers, you usually have a good chance to win. The guys did a good job implementing the game plan."
 
The dynamic duo of freshman RJ Cole and sophomore Charles Williams led the way. Cole registered his first career double-double, producing 25 points and 10 assists. Williams matched his teammate with 25 points on 8-of-9 shooting in the victory.
 
Howard held a double-digit advantage throughout the second half, but DSU's Pinky Wiley connected on a trey ball and sliced the margin down to eight, 59-51, with less than 13 minutes remaining.
 
Shortly after, the Bison responded with a 21-9 run and ballooned the advantage to 20 after a long ball from freshman Kyle Foster at the 7:07 mark, 80-60. From that point on, Howard seized momentum and control for the rest of the game.
 
Before Saturday's contest, HU recognized senior Dalique Mingo for his hard work and dedication on and off the court on Senior Day. The Long Island product finished the afternoon with eight points on 50-percent shooting (3-of-6) in the victory.
 
Both clubs got off to a slow start, but Delaware State took the upperhand after a fast-break layup from Artem Tavakalyan, 15-13. HU responded with a 15-2 spurt and took a double-digit advantage with less than 10 minutes before intermission, 28-17.
 
Delaware State cut the deficit down to single-digits, but the Bison would be too much as they led DSU by 16 points at the break, 47-31.
 
DSU (3-26, 1-12 MEAC) had four Hornets in double-figures, led by Ameer Bennett with 16 points. Jonathan Walker provided 15 points while Wiley and Joe Lewis added 14 and 13, respectively.
 
Monday (Feb. 26), the Bison meet Norfolk State on Organization Night. Game-time is slated for 7 p.m. on ESPNU.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.