WASHINGTON (November 6, 2019) - This week's Bison Brief features news about men's and women's basketball, football, men's and women's soccer, men's and women's swimming and diving, women's volleyball, and bowling.
 
Bison Brief provides a weekly recap of HU athletics so anything you missed during the week, no problem, we have you covered.
 
MEN'S BASKETBALL
 
The men's basketball team was defeated by George Washington University, 76-62, Saturday, November 9. The senior from Richmond, Va., Charles Williams, led the team with 21 points while juniors Kyle Foster (Hampton, Va.) scored 12 points and Zion Cousins (Upper Marlboro, Md.) impressed with a team-best nine rebounds.
 
With an 0-2 start on the season, the team travel to South Bend, Indiana to play the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Tuesday, November 12 for a non-conference game. This is the first time these two teams have faced off.
 
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
 
The Howard women's basketball team beat UMBC, 72-61, in Baltimore Saturday, November 9. Junior Jayla Thornton (Newark, N.J.) led the team in scoring with 20 points and Jayla Myles, also a junior, (Rochester N.Y.) managed a double-double with 11 rebounds and 10 points.
 
On November 12, senior Ayonna Williams (Washington) and Myles were named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Co-Player of the Week and Top Defender, respectively, for their efforts.
 
Later that night, the Bison suffered its first road loss of the season at No. 25 South Florida (USF), 82-53, inside the Yuengling Center. Senior Sarah Edmond (Freeport, N.Y.) led the Bison attack with a game-high 16 points before fouling out.
 
Sunday (November 17), Howard returns home to face Saint Peter's in a non-conference matchup. The action starts at 2 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium.
 
WOMEN'S BOWLING
 
The bowling team earned seventh place in the first MEAC meet of the season November 10. The three day event, hosted by Coppin State, saw the Bison go 6-6 in the tournament.
 
Janae Bradford (Chicago) and Jahnia Phillips (Elmont, N.Y.), both sophomores, led the Bison by rolling a 178 average each during traditional competition.
 
At 24-19, the team will finish its fall schedule at the Aggie Invitational hosted by North Carolina A&T State. The meet will be held November 15-17 in Greensboro, N.C.
 
FOOTBALL
 
Saturday (November 9), the Howard University football team fell at South Carolina State University, 62-21. Dedrick Parson (Philadelphia) finished with 130 rushing yards on 23 carries with a pair of TDs in the loss.
 
On November 16, the Bison travel to Tallahassee, Fla., to face Florida A&M University. Kickoff at 4 p.m.
 
MEN'S SOCCER
 
Howard University men's soccer team lost 4-1 to the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Arkansas Saturday (November 9). Daniel Hart, a senior from Silver Spring, Md., scored the only goal for the Bison.
 
The team will play in the 2019 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Championship beginning Wednesday (November 13) in Boone, N.C. As the third seed team, Howard will face the No. 6 Appalachian State at 7 p.m. ESPN+ and the ESPN app will have live coverage of all the tournament matches.
 
WOMEN'S SOCCER
 
The Bison started the week on a high note with plenty of postseason honors from the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC).
 
Thalia Boucher (Toronto, Canada) was named SWAC Co-Player of the Year and All-SWAC First Team. Kendall Macauly (Toronto, Canada) was named SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and All-SWAC First Team. Victoria Thornton (Plainfield, Ill.) made All-SWAC Second Team. Alayah Hightower (Largo, Md.) was named SWAC Goalkeeper of the Year as well as All-SWAC First Team. Rounding out the awardees is coach Brent Leiba, SWAC Coach of the Year.
 
The team also played in the SWAC tournament this week. As the top seed, they breezed by No. 8 Southern in a 1-0 win. The winning goal came from Thornton.
 
Advancing to the semifinals, HU went on to play and beat Grambling State 2-1 in doubt OT Friday, November 8.
 
Thornton scored the team's first goal, leaving fellow sophomore Kendall Macauly (Toronto, Canada) to score the second and propel the women's soccer team to the finals.
 
After a fantastic run, the team fell to the Prairie View A&M Panthers in the final stretch. With a score of 1-0, the Bison ended their season with a record of 14-4, picking up two 2019 SWAC All-Tournament Team recognitions along the way for Macauly and Thornton.
 
MEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
 
Despite a win for the 200 Free Relay team consisting of juniors Kegan Ford (Port-of-Spain, Trinidad & Tobago), William Speakman Smith II (Jacksonville, Fla.), and freshmen Mark-Anthony Beckles (Chaguanas, Trinidad & Tobago), and Arion Solomon (Fairburn, Ga.), the Howard men's swimming and diving team lost its home meet against George Washington University Saturday (November 9).
 
December 6-7 will see the Bison in Baltimore to finish the first half of the season at the H2ounds Invitational, a meet hosted by Loyola (Md.).
 
WOMEN'S SWIMMING AND DIVING
 
In Saturday's loss against George Washington University, junior Christian Nickolas (Brentwood, Calif.) won gold with a score of 248.53 in the one meter dive.
 
The team's next meet is the H2ounds Invitational, hosted by Loyola (Md.) in Baltimore (December 6-7).
 
WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
 
In an exciting weekend, the women's volleyball team won three straight sets against Delaware State (25-8, 25-22, 25-14) Friday, November 8. Kailyn Williams, a sophomore from Arlington, Texas, helped to secure the win with 12 kills and four blocks. Freshman Tamar Wells (Apopka, Fla.) and redshirt sophomore Marcelle Butler (Canton, Ga.) also contributed with nine kills apiece.
 
Two days later (November 10), the Bison won another three straight sets at home, this time against Maryland Eastern Shore (29-27, 25-22, and 25-19) and advanced to 15-12 (12-1 MEAC) for the season. Butler had 12 kills, junior Jurnee Tipton (Ypsilanti, Mich.) had five aces, and freshman Kayla Diaz (Nanuet, N.Y.) managed a career-high 35 assists.
 
Monday (November 11), senior Kira Porter (Lake Tahoe, Nev.) earned Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Volleyball Co-Defensive Specialist of the Week for her tremendous performances versus Delaware State (Nov. 8) and Maryland Eastern Shore (Nov. 10).
 
The next night (November 12), the Bison erased a 2-1 match deficit to defeat Norfolk State (NSU) in five sets (21-25, 25-20, 23-25, 25-16, 15-12). Junior Myca Mitchell (Clovis, Calif.) and Williams led the Bison comeback, each producing a double-double in the victory.
 
Friday (Nov. 15), Howard ends the regular season with South Carolina State inside Burr Gymnasium on Senior Night. Match time is set for 6 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.