NORFOLK, Va. (March 15, 2019) – The fourth seeded Howard University men's basketball team came up short in the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Semifinals, losing, 75-69, to top seeded Norfolk State at Scope Arena in a highly anticipated matchup.
 
It was the third meeting of the season between the two rivals, with each winning on the other's home floor. The Bison struggled offensively in the first half as the high scoring trio of sophomore RJ Cole (Union, N.J.), junior Charles Williams (Richmond, Va.), and redshirt junior Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.) combined for just 15 points.
 
Derrik Jamerson knocked down all four of his three-point attempts in the first half, as the Bison found themselves down, 34-26, at the break.
 
"Obviously, Norfolk State-Howard part three was a competitive, physical game. We got up early on them, and they made a run. They pretty much took the ball out of RJ's hands for most of the first half," head coach Kevin Nickelberry said after the game. "We're not going to be successful scoring 26 points in the first half."
 
The Bison shot just 10-of-27 in the first half (37-percent). They committed 16 turnovers, which led to 14 points for the Spartans. Howard also lost the rebounding battle, 42-32.
 
The Spartans took their biggest lead of the game, 51-38, with 9:37 to play when Jamerson buried his fifth trey of the game, but the Bison would not go away.
 
A three-pointer by sophomore Kyle Foster (Hampton, Va.) with 6:21 to go in regulation cut the deficit to 55-50.
 
Freshman Raymond Bethea, Jr. (Atlantic City, N.J.) hit a three of his own to make it a two-point ball game, 62-60, with 3:50 left in regulation.
 
The two-point margin was close but ultimately fell short of the additional scoring needed to win.
 
Lott led the team with 21 points. Cole added 19 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. Second-year forward Zion Cousins (Upper Marlboro, Md.) contributed 10 points and seven boards.
 
The Bison end the season 17-16 overall and 10-6 in the MEAC. 

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.