EMMITTSBURG, Md. (November 25, 2023) – Graduate forward Seth Towns (Columbus, Ohio) scored six of his game-high 26 points in the second overtime to lead the Howard University men's basketball team to a hard-fought 87-83 road win over Mount St. Mary's in an entertaining game at Knott Arena.
 
This marked the third straight time that the game has been decided by four points or less.
 
The game featured an unbelievable 20 lead changes and nine ties when you factor the two extra periods.
 
The Mount (1-4) led 33-32 on 12 first half points from Dallas Hobbs.
 
The Bison (3-4) were paced by sophomore forward Shy Odom (nine points), Towns (eight points) junior guard Bryce Harris (seven points) and graduate guard Jelani Williams (Washington) with six points off the bench, as the quartet combined for 30 of Howard's 32 points.
 
The teams continued to battle back and forth in the second stanza before the Bison were able to spurt to a 64-54 lead with 4:02 remaining. It was Towns, who has missed the past two years and the first two games of this season, that took over the game.
 
With Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Odom (Roxbury, Mass.) shackled with fouls, Towns proved to be a major factor in what appeared to be comfortable lead for his team. But the scrappy Mount rallied with a 12-2 run and force the first overtime.
 
Using the momentum, Mount St. Mary's took a three-point lead with just two seconds remaining. But the talented Towns had other ideas as he connected on a three pointer with a second remaining to send the game into the second extra period.
 
During the overtime, he was four-of-four from the free throw line and scored the go-ahead jumper. Towns finished with his first double-double for the Bison with 26 points and 11 rebounds to go along with three assists. 
 
Harris, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Defensive Player of the Week, was perfect for the game, despite the foul trouble, going 10-for-10 from the field and 3-for-3 from the charity stripe.
 
Odom, the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year, was also stymied with foul trouble, but he again filled the stat sheet with 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists before fouling out.
 
Williams, who hit a clutch three pointer in the first overtime, tallied 15 points, eight rebounds and a team-high five assists.
 
The Mount were led by Dakota Leffew with 22 points, followed by Hobbs (20 points), Joey Cordilla (16 points) and Dola Adebayo (13 points).
 
GAME NOTES: The Bison were 5-of-6 from the floor in the second OT and a perfect 10-for-10 in the two overtime periods. HU shot a season-high 92 percent (23-of-25) from the foul line and held a 46-30 advantage in rebounding.
 
NEXT UP: It does not get any easier for Howard, facing undefeated Cincinnati Tuesday (Nov. 28) at 7 p.m. inside Burr Gymnasium.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.