WASHINGTON (January 28, 2023) – Howard University men's basketball team overcame an 11-point second half deficit to extend its win streak to five after a hard-fought 71-67 victory over North Carolina Central in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdown at The Burr, live on ESPNU.
 
With tonight's win, the Bison moved to 5-1 in league play (13-10 overall) and sits atop the MEAC standings with Maryland Eastern Shore.
 
Second-year Bison Elijah Hawkins (Washington) had his first double-double of the season with 17 points and 10 assists.
 
"We played well tonight," said Hawkins. "We started a little slow on offense, so I had to get us going and once I got myself going, that opened things up for my teammates."
 
After holding a slim halftime lead, 30-29, North Carolina Central came out in the second half and ballooned the margin to double digits, 48-37, thanks to a layup from Brendan Medley-Bacon.
 
Howard clawed away at the deficit with its defensive presence, pulling the contest into a one-possession game after a pair of freebies from five-time MEAC Rookie of the Week recipient freshman forward Shy Odom (Roxbury, Mass.), 49-46.
 
The final 11 minutes went back-and-forth until HU began to create separation late.
 
"When we were down in the second half, we just had to grind it out," Hawkins stated. "So, we had to make sure that we stayed solid on defense and grinded it out at the end."
 
With more than three minutes left, Howard pushed the lead to seven, 67-60, after graduate guard Jelani Williams (Washington) found Odom for a fast-break layup.
 
Both teams continued to battle down the stretch, but the Bison would prevail and complete the comeback.
 
Odom finished with 15 points and three dimes in the win.
 
HU won the rebounding battle, 30-25, led by redshirt junior Steve Settle, III (Glenarden, Md.) with a game-high eight boards.
 
Sophomore guard Marcus Dockery (Washington) ended his night with 16 points on 4-of-5 shooting from long range.
 
"We played together and stayed connected despite being down," Dockery stated postgame. "That's just how we get our wins."
 
NCCU (10-10, 3-3 MEAC) had four Eagles in double figures, led by Medley-Bacon with 15 points in a losing effort.
 
Howard concludes its home stand Monday (Jan. 30) when they face South Carolina State University inside The Burr. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.