WASHINGTON (February 28, 2018) – Coach
Kevin Nickelberry and the Howard University Men's Basketball team close out the regular season with Coppin State (CSU). Tip-off is slated for 7:30 p.m. inside the Physical Education Complex (PEC) Arena.
Fans can follow all the action via
live stats or
live video.
MATCHUP PREVIEW
A year ago, the Bison ended CSU's 2016-17 campaign as they knocked Coppin State, 79-73, in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) First Round. CSU entered as the No. 6 seed while Howard clinched the No. 11 spot.
Howard (9-21, 6-9 MEAC) enters Thursday's contest looking to bounce back after a tough loss against Norfolk State, 79-73. Currently, HU holds the 10
th spot, but could move up as high as eighth with a win and losses from South Carolina State and Florida A&M. Coach Nickelberry's squad will be without sophomore forward
Marcus Hall, who suffered a season-ending shoulder injury Monday (Feb. 26).
"Losing [Marcus] Hall is a big loss," said Nickelberry. "He adds depth to our frontline, which we've been battling all season with injuries. Last year, we entered the tournament with guards being injured. This season, our big guys have been in and out of the rotation. But dealing with this last season, we made it to the MEAC semifinals despite being shorthanded."
No matter tomorrow night's outcome, Howard will play Tuesday (March 6).
Coppin State (5-25, 5-10 MEAC) has three Eagles averaging double figures: Lamar Morgan (12.3 ppg); Karonn Davis (11.1 ppg); and Dejuan Clayton (10.2 ppg). Junior 6-5 forward Adam Traore leads CSU on the glass by averaging 5.6 rebounds per contest. First-year head coach Juan Dixon has his squad sitting in the eleventh; however, the Eagles could move up two spots with a victory and a South Carolina State loss at Savannah State.
LAST TIMEOUT
Last Saturday (Feb. 24), Howard defeated Delaware State, 93-74 inside The Burr on Senior Day. The dynamic duo of freshman
RJ Cole and sophomore
Charles Williams led the way, scoring 25 points apiece.
Monday (Feb. 26), HU fell to Norfolk State, 79-74, inside Burr Gymnasium in front of a raucous crowd on nationally televised ESPNU. Williams led all scorers with a season-high 32 points, shooting 93-percent (13-of-14) on the night. Cole racked up 21 points, seven dimes, four steals, and four boards in the loss.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Howard's next stop is the MEAC Basketball Tournament in Norfolk, Va. The six-day event (March 5-10) will take place inside the Norfolk Scope Arena. Date and time is to be determined.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
