WASHINGTON (March 4, 2018) – In a 32-game schedule which saw the No. 8 Howard University Men's Basketball team travel nearly 24,000 miles across the country, Coach Kevin Nickelberry and his squad journey to Norfolk, Va. for the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Tournament where the No. 9 Florida A&M (FAMU) Rattlers await. Tuesday's opening round showdown starts 4 p.m. inside the Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
Fans can follow all the action via live stats and ESPN3.
 
MATCHUP PREVIEW
 
HU and Florida A&M split during the regular season, winning each contest at home. Howard is seeking its first league title since 1992.
 
On Jan. 3, the Bison came up short in their MEAC opener against FAMU, 84-75, inside the Al Lawson Center. Offensively, the Bison shot 51-percent (26-of-51) from the floor, including 50-percent (9-of-18) from downtown. Freshman RJ Cole registered a game-high 30 points, including 23 after intermission, while sophomore Charles Williams started hot, scoring 13 of his 21 points before the break.
 
A month later (Feb. 3), Williams reached the 1,000-point club and helped HU earn its fourth straight win after an 83-80 decision over the Rattlers in OT. The Virginia native registered 22 points in the victory.
 
HU has dropped five out of eight since their last encounter against Florida A&M; however, built momentum going into the tourney with a road win at Coppin State, 78-71.
 
"I really love this team," said Nickelberry. "I love how they play for each other and they're chemistry on and off the court. That means a lot, especially this time of the year. They're a resilient group, being the youngest team in the MEAC. Throughout the conference, bringing in older, mature transfers has been the route for many teams, but that's not how we built our team. After starting 0-4, we never quit and they handled the adversity, winning seven of their last 12 games down the stretch."
 
Cole and Williams have been the catalysts for Howard all season long. Friday (March 2), both Bison were named to the All-MEAC First Team while Cole claimed the conference's rookie of the year honor.
 
"They have to do what they've been doing all year, which is put the ball in the basket," said Nickelberry on his duo backcourt. "Our formula of bringing in quality freshmen every year and developing them has worked. They need to put the ball in the basket and make plays at crucial moments on both ends. They need to open the game up for the other guys like [Zion] Cousins, [Jalen] Jones, and [Cameron] Lewis in the post while [Kyle] Foster, [Nate] Garvey, and [Dalique] Mingo will need to make shots."
 
Since their last meeting, FAMU won four out of seven, including three straight. Most notable victory in their three-game winning streak came against North Carolina A&T State, 83-77. Desmond Williams (17.9 ppg) and Marcus Barham (17.0 ppg) are among the league leaders in scoring, ranking fifth and sixth, respectively.
 
"They're a very experienced team and we're a very young team," Nickelberry added. "We're going to have to play like we did the first half at their place and like we did at home. We must compete because their a physical team. We must stop [Desmond] Williams and [Marcus] Barham. We have to control those two, along with the other quality guys they have."
 
After the season, there was a three-way tie for seventh between HU, FAMU, and Morgan State (MSU). Morgan State won the tiebreaker with a 3-0 record against the aforementioned teams; thus, serving as the No. 7 seed, while Howard had the higher winning percentage over Florida A&M.
 
"We can't go out there and place like freshman and sophomores, we have to go out there and play hungry," Nickelberry continued. "If we do that, then we'll have a chance."
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
Thursday (March 1), the Bison knocked off Coppin State on the road, 78-71.
 
HU shot 45-percent (29-of-65) from the floor, including 42-percent (11-of-26) from beyond the arc.
 
Williams and Cole were the lone Bison to reach double-figures, combining for 54 points. Williams had a game-high 29 points on 11-of-19 shooting, including 5-of-6 from long range. Cole posted a double-double, finishing with 25 points and 10 assists in the victory.
 
Howard won the rebounding battle, 45-30, while scoring 19 second chance points. Newcomer Zion Cousins led the way, grabbing a game-high 10 boards.
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
With a victory, Howard squares off against top seeded Hampton in the MEAC Quarterfinals Wednesday (March 7). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.