Coach Ty Grace and the Howard University women's basketball team (8-7, 1-1 MEAC) came up short in their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) road opener. The Bison lost 80-72 to Maryland-Eastern Shore (6-9, 2-0 MEAC) at W.P. Hytche Center.

Howard was able to overcome a sluggish start to build a 46-36 lead at the break. The Bison led for much of the game. They led by as much as 13 points when they took a 57-44 lead with 4:34 to play in the third. But, the Hawks slowly began chipping away. For the second straight game, the Bison struggled with defensive consistency.

"We were having a hard time containing dribble penetration. We talked about that. We knew that was going to be an issue with Maryland Eastern Shore. They have really strong guards that attack the basket. We definitely struggled with ball containment tonight,"  Grace noted after the game.

The Shore ended the game on a 10-0 run. With 1:55 to go in the game, the Hawks' Bairesha Gill-Jones hit a jumper to tie the game at 72. Two possessions later, the Hawks' Ciani Byrom had a steal and made the go-ahead layup at the other end, drawing a foul on Ayonna Williams and completed the three-point play with 1:04 to play. That gave the Hawks a 75-72 lead. The Shore hit five free throws to cement the final margin.

Junior Imani Bryant led the way with a team high 16 points on six-of-nine shooting. She added a game high 14 rebounds (eight offensive). "That's something that Imani is definitely capable of. We've seen that before. It stretches the level of confidence with her having injuries throughout her career. When she's confident and she's playing at a high level, that's what she's very capable of, double doubles," Grace said.

Sophomore Jayla Thornton knocked down five-of-10 three-pointers and finished with 15 points. Classmate Tariah Johnson added 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Byrom finished with a game high 31 points to go along with six assists and four rebounds to lead the Hawks. Brooklyn Bailey added 12 points.

The Bison return to the Burr on Saturday, January 12 to host Bethune-Cookman University. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.

About Howard University Athletics
The Howard University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics sponsors 19 NCAA Division I men and women varsity sports. The programs represent six conferences: the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC), Coastal Collegiate Swimming Association (CCSA), Sun Belt Conference, Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) and Atlantic Sun (ASUN) Conference. Visit www.hubison.com to learn more.