BALTIMORE (February 26, 2019) – Coach Kevin Nickelberry and the Howard University men's basketball team used a second half surge to earn a 75-69 come-from-behind road win against Morgan State (MSU) inside the Hill Field House.
 
The Bison (14-15, 8-6 MEAC) shot 59-percent (16-of-27) from the field in the second half while limiting Morgan State to just 35-percent (8-of-23) shooting after the break.
 
"Great effort in the second half," said Nickelberry after the game. "They had 10 offensive rebounds at halftime. We did a better job of finishing out the possession with a rebound."
 
After getting outrebounded in the first half, 29-17, HU regrouped and won the battle after intermission, 15-14.
 
Redshirt senior Jalen Jones (Kinston, N.C.) and redshirt junior Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.) led the charge with a team-high seven boards, followed by freshman Akuwovo Ogheneyole (Delta State, Nigeria) with six rebounds.
 
Morgan State held its largest advantage at the break, 36-27, but the Bison quickly began chipping away at the halftime deficit.
 
Ogheneyole made a pair of free throws to tie the game at 50, then, on the next Bison possession, sophomore RJ Cole (Union, N.J.) made two free throws to give Howard a 52-50 lead with under 11 minutes remaining.
 
After that point, HU found its rhythm and extended their advantage to double-digits on multiple occasions, including 11 with 90 ticks left. The Bears got no closer than six for the rest of the game.
 
Howard forcing turnovers was a big contributor to the comeback victory. The Bison forced 21 turnovers, including 11 after the break, which converted into 22 points.
 
HU recorded 12 steals, led by Cole with a career-high six thefts.
 
Additionally, the Bison capitalized on their size advantage and outscored MSU, 36-16, while connecting 81-percent (21-of-26) at the charity stripe.
 
Along with his six steals, Cole led all scorers with 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. Freshman Andre Toure (Paris, France) provided a spark off the bench, finishing with 14 points (career-high) and four boards.
 
Lott and Ogheneyole each produced 12 points in the victory.
 
For MSU (8-18, 3-10 MEAC), David Syfax finished with a double-double (18 points and 10 boards).
 
With the win, HU grabbed its sixth consecutive road victory.
 
"We've been in hostile environments all year," Nickelberry concluded. "We weren't playing our style of basketball [in the first half]. We didn't get enough looks for RJ [Cole], Chad [Lott], and CJ [Charles Williams], but we made the necessary adjustments at halftime."
 
The Bison travel to Georgia to take on Savannah State Saturday (March 2). Tip-off is set for 6 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.