WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In a battle of the top two teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference [MEAC], a Thursday night contest could preview the 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament the Howard University Bison topped the Norfolk State University Spartans, 71-64 in Burr Gymnasium.


Howard won their second consecutive conference contest to improve to 12-8 and 6-2 MEAC. Norfolk State falls to 10-8 and 6-1 MEAC. The Spartans hold a half-game lead for the number one seed.


Howard's Kaniyah Harris broke a 61-61 tie, knocking down a long ball to take a 64-61 lead with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter to spark a 10-6 run to defeat the Spartans. The Bison connected on 6-of-7 free throws to seal the game.


The Bison opened the game on a 13-6 run with 3:05 left on the first quarter. The Spartans answered backed with a 7-4 run
to close the quarter down 17-13.


Howard slowly built a 23-13 lead with 6:25 left in the second quarter. HU traded baskets with NSU over the next three minutes to keep a 29-19 lead when the Spartans closed the half on a 10-2 run to cut the lead 32-29.


The Spartans tied the game at 34, with 8:38 left in the third quarter. Howard's Krislyn Marsh broke the tie with a nifty layup to spark a 7-0 run to take a 44-38 lead. NSU countered with a 7-0 run to tie the game at 44, with 2:12 left in the third quarter. Norfolk St. closed the third quarter on a 6-1 run to take a 50-45 lead into the fourth quarter.


The Spartans slowly built a 59-53 lead with 5:19 left in the contest when Brooklynn Fort-Davis knocked in a mid-range jumper in the paint to spark  an 8-0 run to grab the lead, 61-59. After a Spartan jumper, the Bison closed the contest on a 10-6 run to defeat Norfolk State.


Hutton paced the Bison offense recording a season-high 19 points, Destiny Howell [18pts] and Kaniyah Harris [11pts] joined Hutton in double-figures, Fort-Davis chipped in nine points off the bench.


Hutton also recorded a game-high nine rebounds.


The Bison outscored the Spartans 19-7 in second-chance points, 10 in the fourth quarter. Howard bench outscored Norfolk State 12-2 in the fourth quarter.


Howard holds a 34-19 record over Norfolk State.


Head Coach Ty Grace is four games from reaching the 100 win game mark as a Bison.


Up Next:


The Bison will tip off a MEAC doubleheader, as the Hornets of Delaware State visits the Nation Capital Saturday for a 2:00 p.m. tipoff.