CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (December 21, 2021) – Howard University men's basketball team erased an 18-point deficit, but was unable to complete the comeback, falling to Ivy League perennial powerhouse Harvard, 77-69, inside Lavietes Pavilion.
 
With the loss, Howard dropped to .500 (6-6) while the Crimson moved to 8-4 overall.
 
In the second half, HU shot a respectable 44-percent (15-of-34), including 50-percent (6-of-12) from long range, after shooting only 30-percent (8-of-27) in the first period.
 
"Coach Tommy Amaker did a great job knocking us back on our heels," said Howard men's basketball head coach Kenneth Blakeney after the game. "We were not able to execute in the first half, but we were able to attack and put them on their heels in the second half. We defended and pressured them, but we were unable to sustain it."
 
Redshirt sophomore Steve Settle, III (Glenarden, Md.) led the Bison attack, tallying 18 points on 6-of-9 from the floor.
 
Moments after intermission, Howard opened the second period on a 16-4 run and cut the double-digit halftime deficit to eight, 46-38, thanks to layup from Settle.
 
Harvard's Idan Tretout extended the lead back to double digits, 48-38, but the Bison continued to chip away.
 
Junior guard Khalil Robinson (Columbia, S.C.) made a layup and pulled HU within one, 48-47, but back-to-back long balls by Harvard ballooned the lead to seven, 54-47, with more than 10 minutes remaining.
 
Down, but not out, Howard made another charge and took the lead after a trey ball from graduate sharpshooter Kyle Foster (Hampton, Va.), 57-56.
 
From that point, the Crimson made a pair of freebies to regain the upper hand and never looked back, 58-57.
 
Harvard outscored Howard in the final seven minutes, 19-12, making clutches free throws down the stretch.
 
Foster, reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week, finished with 15 points while fellow classmate Tai Bibbs (Chicago) added 12 points, six boards and a pair of steals in the loss.
 
Harvard led from start-to-finish in the first half, including a long ball from Chris Ledlum that gave the Crimson their largest lead with less than four minutes left before intermission, 40-22.
 
Ledlum (17 points & 13 rebounds) and Noah Kirkwood (19 points & 12 boards) notched double-doubles in the victory.
 
Howard battles Ivy League preseason favorite Yale Thursday (Dec. 23) in New Haven, Conn. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.