February 22, 2019 -- The Howard University women's basketball team will spend their next two games in Baltimore, facing the Coppin State Eagles and the Morgan State Bears. This Bison will face the Eagles on Saturday, February 23 at 2 p.m. and the Bears on Monday, February 25 at 5:30 p.m.
LAST TIME OUT
The Bison won their final home game of the regular season on Monday, defeating the North Carolina Central Eagles, 80-70. The Bison fell to a slow start, trailing 45-35 at halftime. They emerged late, outscoring the Eagles, 24-9 in the final period to pull off the come-from-behind victory.
The top four scorers for the Bison reached double figures.
Sarah Edmond led the team with 20 points, followed by
Ayonna Williams (19 points),
Jayla Thornton (12 points) and
Krislyn Marsh (11 points).
On the defensive end, Marsh and
Imani Bryant combined for 17 rebounds. Bryant also protected the paint with four blocked shots.
GAME PREVIEW
Facing Coppin State on Saturday, Howard will test their skills against a team searching for its first win in five games. The Eagles have a 2-10 record within the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and a 2-22 record overall.
Despite their struggles on the season, they are among the top free throw shooting teams in the conference (67.7 percent). Their roster features two of the top six scorers in the MEAC, Brooke Fields (17.2 ppg) and Chance Graham (15.7 ppg). Graham also leads the conference, averaging 12 rebounds per game.
"Fields and Graham are two dominant players for their team, so we know where the ball is going to be most of the time offensively," said head coach
Ty Grace. "It will be key for us to limit their touches and challenge every shot. It will be a collective effort to slow them down. However, we can't let other role players have a good night as well."
Traveling to Morgan State on Monday, the Bison will face the Bears (6-5 MEAC, 8-17 Overall). The Bears are just below the Bison in the standings at sixth place in the MEAC. They allow just 64 points per game and are led on offense by Adre'onia Coleman, who is averaging 16.4 ppg. Before facing the Bison, the Bears will take on Norfolk State on Saturday.
"We are taking it one game at time and focusing on that opponent" stated Grace. "We aren't looking past anyone. We will watch film, practice and make sure we are prepared to play. We need to stay confident and focused, and execute our game plans. This is a crucial stretch coming up and the team understands how important it is to be consistent and execute on both ends of the floor. "
As the fifth-place team in the conference, the Bison (7-5 MEAC, 14-11 Overall) lead the MEAC in scoring, averaging 71.5 points per game. Edmond (16.0 ppg), Thornton (12.3 ppg), Williams (11.8 ppg) and Marsh (10.0 ppg) are the four Bison averaging double figures for the season.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Following this weekend's schedule, the Bison will travel to Savannah State to face the Tigers on Saturday, March 2, at 4 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.
