Dover, DE -- Howard University Bison spoils Delaware State University senior night, defeating the Lady Hornets 80-74, for their fifth straight victory in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) action, Sunday afternoon in Memorial Hall. 

With the win, Howard improves to 14-3 and 10-2 in conference play. Delaware State falls to 3-12 and 2-9 overall. 

Howard secured the #1 seed in the 2021 U.S. Air Force Reserve MEAC Basketball Tournament, and at this time, a share of the Northern Division Title.

How it Happen:

Howard's Brooklyn Fort-Davis knocked down her fourth career three-pointer at the 7:51 mark to spark a 7-0 run. Delaware State countered with a 5-0 run to cut the lead, 7-5 at the 5:29 mark. Howard ended the quarter outscoring the Lady Hornets 13-8 to take a 20-13 lead. 

Delaware State came alive in the second quarter to make it a game knocking down five three-point shots to cut Howard's lead 31-30 going into intermission. 

Howard opened the second half on an 18-6 run to extend their lead 48-36 at the 5:21 mark.

The Lady Hornets once again flipped the script and went on a 15-9 run over the final five minutes to close the gap 57-51 going into the fourth quarter. 

The Bison looked to have the game in hand, cruising through the fourth quarter, outscoring Delaware State 16-7, and taking a 73-58 advantage with two minutes to go in regulation. 

The Lady Hornets put up one last effort, scoring 14 points in the final minute; Howard knocked down 6-of-8 from the charity strip to keep DSU at bay and hold on for an 80-74 victory. 

News and Notes

• Howard secured the #1 seed in the 2021 U.S. Air Force Reserve MEAC basketball tournament.
• Howard ended the season with a .824 (14-3) winning percentage, the highest in school history, blowing past the previous mark of .800 of the 1997 team. 
• Howard outscored DSU 19-6 from the charity stripe.
• Howard outscored DSU 30-24 from points in the paint.
• Iyanna Warren recorded a game-high 16 points, shooting 8-of-9 from the free-throw line.
• Joining Warren in double-figures was Jayla Thornton (13) and Destiny Howell (15). 
• Freshman Anzhane' Hutton, Kaiya Creek, Destiny Howell, and Kaniyah Harris led the way for the Bison in the fourth. 
• Hutton had a game-high 14 rebounds, her ninth double-figure performance of the season.
• Warren has scored in double-figures in the last seven consecutive games averaging 14.1 points a game. 

Head Coach Ty Grace Thoughts

on tonight's win:

"....We had a no-quit mentality; we knew that this type of game would be challenging. Delaware State is very aggressive. They don't quit. They play together. They have a lot of energy. They knew it was going to be tough, and our team was just as tough. We kept our composure. They made some runs, but we were able to close it out..."

securing the number one seed:

"...it's funny when this season started, I wasn't sure what to look forward to, because no one knew, everything was uncertain, but as we got closer and closer and saw more success, we kept talking about the goals we wanted to hit. Playing for each week, each game, now that we are here, I am proud of the team. I am glad that we were able to accomplish all of the things we were able to accomplish..."

On Howells performance

"...She [Howell] always had this capability. I just think she lost some of the confidence early in the season. She wasn't shooting the ball well. I told her, this is what she does, she shoots the ball she can score, and obviously, the spark gave her some confidence, and she is playing very well..."

On Hutton strong season

"... for a freshman, her season has been great. You can't ask for more from a kid coming out of High School and trying to adjust to college, especially this covid season. She has done a great job. She came and put her head down and put her hard hat on, and came to work..."

on the teams trouble at the free-throw line

"... we just going to keep working at, we been a good free-throw shooting up to the last few games, now it might be a little mental, we are going to get back in the gym and work at it..."

On becoming North Division Champions

"... It's great! It's great! I am proud of these kids. They have been resilient, they stuck through, it's been a wild season, and I am just happy they get to see this type of success, and I am happy for the team..."

UP NEXT

Howard will have a bye to open up the MEAC Conference Tournament, and they will tip off the tournament on March 17 at noon. The conference announced, tickets are not going to be sold due to Covid-19 precautions