WASHINGTON (March 6, 2019) – Howard University men's basketball team finishes the regular season in Norfolk, Va. where the Norfolk State (NSU) Spartans await. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. inside Echols Hall.
Fans can follow all the action at
www.NSUSpartans.com.
LAST TIMEOUT
Saturday (March 2), HU held off a late charge by Savannah State to earn its first 15-win season in four years after an 81-76 victory over the Tigers.
Five Bison reached double figures, led by sophomore
RJ Cole (Union, N.J.) with a game-high 23 points. Junior
Charles Williams (Richmond, Va.) netted 15 points while redshirt junior
Chad Lott (Shreveport, La.) recorded his first double-double in a Bison uniform with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
Second-year guard
Kyle Foster (Hampton, Va.) scored 11 points off the bench and fellow classmate
Zion Cousins (Upper Marlboro, Md.) nearly had a double-double, finishing with 10 points and eight boards.
MATCHUP PREVIEW
Thursday's clash will be the 56
th meeting between Howard and Norfolk State with the Spartans leading the series, 45-10.
On Feb. 2, Howard went toe-to-toe with Norfolk State and held the advantage throughout, but the Spartans rallied to top HU in the waning moments with a pair of free throws to remaining unbeaten in league play, 80-78, inside The Burr.
Cole led all scorers with 29 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including five trey balls.
HOWARD
HU (15-15, 9-6 MEAC) comes in with the league's top offense (78.8 ppg) and winners of seven straight away from The Burr. Howard seeks to close out the regular season undefeated on the road in conference play (8-0).
"We must continue to play the same way on the road," said Howard men's basketball head coach
Kevin Nickelberry. "We need to stay together, handle Norfolk State's runs, and close out games."
At 9-6, Howard has a chance to finish as the No. 4 seed with a win but could also fall to No. 5 if certain scenarios play out.
"It's going to be a lot on the line," Nickelberry continued. "We're pretty much locked into either the fourth or fifth seed, but it comes down to pride and getting ready for the MEAC Tournament."
Cole, Lott and Williams spearhead the Bison attack, combining for nearly 54 points per game.
NORFOLK STATE
NSU (19-11, 14-1 MEAC) enters Thursday as the league's regular season champion and No. 1 overall seed in the conference tournament. Norfolk State seeks their first 20-win season in four seasons.
Statistically, Norfolk State tops the league in several categories, including field goal percentage defense (40.3); 3-point field goal percentage (37.3) and blocks (4.4).
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Howard's next stop is the 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Basketball Tournament in Norfolk, Va. (March 11-16) at the Norfolk Scope Arena. Date, time, and opponent to be determined.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
