WASHINGTON (February 1, 2019) -- The Howard University women's basketball team continues their homestand to face the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday. Game time is set for 2 p.m. at Burr Gymnasium.

LAST TIMEOUT
The Bison lost their last game at home to the Maryland Eastern Shore Hawks, 80-73. With a 4-3 record within the conference, Howard is now tied with Bethune-Cookman for fourth place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) standings, to go along with an 11-9 overall record.

The Bison jumped to an early start, scoring the first five points of the game and leading by two after the first quarter. They led in the second half, before the Hawks pulled away with a 23-11 run in the third quarter.

Junior Guard Ayonna Williams led the Bison with a season-high 25 points. Sarah Edmond was the only other Howard player to reach double figures with 14 points of her own. Kelsie Jacobs had a team-high seven rebounds in nine minutes, while Asia McCants contributed four assists. 

GAME PREVIEW
Like the Bison, Norfolk State's most recent loss came at the hands of Maryland Eastern Shore. Prior to their 59-42 loss to the Hawks, the Spartans won their first six conference games to open the 2019 year.

At 6-1 within the conference and 11-9 overall, the Spartans specialize on defensive prowess, averaging 59 points per game while allowing just 55.7 points per game to MEAC opponents, which ranks second in the conference. "Norfolk is playing good basketball right now, despite only averaging 59 points per game," said head basketball coach Ty Grace. "They have found ways to win games. We need to keep them at their average, or hold them below it."

Norfolk State also leads the MEAC with a .396 field goal percentage overall, along with 14.1 assists per game. On the offensive end for the Spartans, La'Deja James and Raven Russell are posting double figures in points, averaging 13.2 and 11.2 points per game, respectively.

Howard leads the conference in scoring with 71.5 points per game, along with a plus 3.9 scoring margin and 42.8 rebounds per game. Four Bison players are averaging at least 10 points per game, led by Edmond who averaged 16.1 points per contest.  
"We have continued to impress on the team that our defensive focus and intensity needs to be above average. It's vital in order to stay ahead of the other teams in the conference that are still behind us. We want to finish strong in February," Grace said.

PROMOTIONS
Women's basketball will dress in their pink uniforms for the annual Play4Kay basketball game honoring former North Carolina State University head women's basketball coach Kay Yow. Yow passed away in 2009 after battling breast cancer for over two decades. The team is requesting attendees of Saturday's game join them in wearing pink in solidarity with those affected by breast cancer. 

UPCOMING SCHEDULE
The Bison will travel to Tallahassee, FL, to face the Florida A&M Rattlers on Saturday, Feb. 9 at 2 p.m. For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.

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.