WASHINGTON, DC- It is a new year, and the slate is clean as the Howard University women's basketball team opens Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play on Saturday, Jan. 7 at 2 pm in Burr Gymnasium. The game will be streamed on http://www.hubison.com. Live stats will be available.

The defending tournament champions have had their struggles in the non-conference schedule. A combination of injuries to key starters and the inability to score has plagued Howard (4-9, 0-0 MEAC).  But Head Coach Ty Grace is hoping that the 79-67 win over VCU on the road on December 28 is the remedy for their ills. The Bison had dropped four in a row before the VCU game.

"The VCU win was great confidence builder after some tough losses in December. It was a good win against a well coached A10 squad. I was proud how the team responded coming off a four day break and still being down with injuries. It gave us some positive momentum going into conference play", shared Grace.

The victory was buoyed by junior guard Destiny Howell. The sharpshooting 6-0 guard from Queens, NY put on a shooting display rarely seen in the program. The MEAC Player of the Week poured in 35 points on a sizzling 9-of-13 shooting, all in just 34 minutes. Graduate guard Aziah Hudson chipped in with 13 points, senior forward Brooklynn Fort-Davis added 11, and junior guard Kaniyah Harris finished with nine points, six rebounds and a career-high 13 assists.

The performance by Harris was crucial as Howard was playing without Iyanna Warren. The senior preseason all-MEAC first team selection has missed the last two games and is the team's second leading scorer with almost 10 points and is second in assists (26) and in steals (19).

Delaware State (2-9, 0-0 MEAC) comes into the game having lost six in a row, the latest a 68-38 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson. The Hornets, who also have had problems scoring the basketball, are led by senior guard Alexis Moragne (9.0 ppg), freshman forward Savannah Brooks (9.0 ppg, leads team in blocked shots with four) and senior guard Denijsha Williams (8.8 ppg, leads team in steals with 20).

BISON HOOVES: Fort-Davis recently eclipsed the 500-rebond mark in her career...Hudson needs nine points to reach the 1,000-point plateau in her combined career at Old Dominion and now at Howard.

MEAC NOTES: Howell was named the MEAC Player of the Week for the second time this season after her performance in the win over VCU...Harris was named Defensive Player of the Week and Nile Miller was named Rookie of the Week...Howell leads the conference in scoring, ranks fourth in 3-point shooting and 10th in blocks and field-goal percentage...Hudson ranks ninth in scoring and 11th in 3-point shooting...Fort-Davis is ninth in rebounding and 11th in blocked shots...Warren is ninth in both assists and steals...Harris leads the MEAC in assist/turnover ratio and is third overall in assists (3.5 per game)...Junior reserve guard Kaiya Creek is fifth in the league blocked shots.

THE SERIES:  Howard leads the series against Delaware State, 57-31, and has won the last nine meetings. The Bison took all three games vs. DSU during the 2021-22 season, defeating the Lady Hornets 83-49 in the first meeting in Dover, Del., and completing the regular season sweep with an 83-44 victory in Washington, D.C. Howard also posted an 87-51 win over the Lady Hornets in the opening round of the 2022 MEAC Tournament in Norfolk, Va. The teams are also scheduled to meet this season on Feb. 11 at DSU's Memorial Hall.  

NEXT UP: Howard travels to Princess Anne, MD to take on the Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore at 5:30 pm on Monday, Jan. 9.


Contributors: Jalisa Fulwood and Chevonne Mansfield