WASHINGTON (February 1, 2019) – After consecutive home wins to close out January, the Howard University men's basketball team opens February with a conference showdown with league-leading Norfolk State (NSU) inside The Burr. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m.
 
Fans can follow all the action via www.HUBison.com.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
Monday (Jan. 28), HU pulled away in the second half and downed Maryland Eastern Shore, 72-57, inside Burr Gymnasium on ESPNU.
 
Sophomore guard RJ Cole (Union, N.J.) led the squad with a game-high eight dimes, along with 10 points, three steals and a pair of rebounds.
 
Junior Charles Williams (Richmond, Va.) and redshirt junior Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.) combined for 41 points on 16-of-28 shooting.
 
MATCHUP PREVIEW
 
Saturday's clash will be the 55^th meeting between Howard and Norfolk State with the Spartans leading the series, 44-10.
 
A year ago, the Bison were unable to overcome a tough shooting night as they lost to NSU, 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.
 
HOWARD
 
Howard (10-12, 4-3 MEAC) enters Saturday with a three-game winning streak in conference play with a chance to know off the Spartans at home.
 
In order to win, the squad must continue to share the ball and play defense.
 
"We need to continue to play well defensively and share the ball," said Howard men's basketball head coach Kevin Nickelberry. "We need to exploit the mismatches and find the hot hand. If we take good shots and make stops, we'll have a good chance of winning."
 
Currently, HU sits fifth in the league standings with six of the remaining eight conference games being played on the road after Saturday.
 
NORFOLK STATE
 
NSU (12-10, 7-0 MEAC) ranks among the conference leaders in several categories, including blocks (1^st), field goal percentage defense (2^nd) and scoring (3^rd).
 
"Right now, they're the best team in the MEAC," Nickelberry added. "They have a combination of talent and experience. We have some talent young guys and they'll need to grow up quickly Saturday."
 
Saturday will be a tale of two different teams. Howard comes in with nine freshmen and sophomores while Norfolk State enters with eight juniors and seniors.
 
"With us being the youngest team in the league and Norfolk State being one of the more experienced teams, it will definitely be a challenge," Nickelberry concluded. "But I'm confident in how our team has been playing recently."
 
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
 
After a week away from the hardwood, Howard goes to the Sunshine State for a pair of matchups against Florida A&M (Feb. 9) and Bethune-Cookman (Feb. 11).
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.