WASHINGTON (November 28, 2023) – Graduate forward Seth Towns (Columbus, Ohio) score a game-high 24 points, including a big three-pointer to send the game into overtime, but Cincinnati would go on to outscore the Howard University men's basketball team, 86-81, in a thrilling nonconference game at Burr Gymnasium.
 
The two teams battled back and forth as neither led by more than seven.
 
The Bearcats (6-0) appeared to have the game in hands when Thomas converted two free throw to give the visitors a 74-71 lead with just seven ticks on the clock.
 
Everyone knew that Towns was going to take the shot, but despite that, the 6-foot-8 graduate student took two dribbled to free himself on the left side of the court and buried the three-pointer to send the home crowd into a frenzy and the game into the extra period.
 
The overtime period played out like much of the game in regulation. First, Day Thomas scored on a nifty move in the lane to give the Bearcats a 76-74 lead, but junior forward Miles Stewart (Orlando, Fla.) scored on a tap in to tie the game again at 76. 
 
Johnnie Newman, III and Victor Lakhin each scored a basket to give Cincinnati an 80-76 lead at the 2:58 mark. But the Bison (3-5) refused to fold and Stewart added a short jumper to get his team to within one possession, 80-78, with 2:47 in the extra period.
 
Lakhin, who finished with 19 points, came right and scored to increase the lead, 82-78.
 
The two teams took turns missing shots until junior guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) scored on a nice feed from graduate guard Isiah Warfield (Monaca, Pa.) to make the score 82-80 in favor of the Bearcats at the 1:34 mark.
 
Towns was fouled and made one-of-two to cut the deficit to one, 82-81, with 42 second remaining.
 
Newman was fouled and made both free throws to make it a three-point game for the Bearcats.
 
Howard was unable to score on its end and Thomas scored on a dunk as the buzzer went off and Cincinnati escaped with the win.
 
It must be noted that Howard played most of the game without one of its key players, Preseason Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Year sophomore Shy Odom (Roxbury, Mass.), who was injured in the first five minutes and remained in street clothes the rest of the game. The second-year Bison came into the game as the team's third leading scorer and team leader in assists and steals.
 
It marked the second straight game that Towns has led the team in scoring. He poured in a game-high 25 in Saturday's double overtime win at Mount Saint Mary's (Nov. 25). Incidentally, he had a three-pointer in that game, which sent into the first OT.
 
Junior guard Marcus Dockery (Washington) scored 13 points, graduate guard Jordan Hairston (Fairfax, Va.) with 11 points off the bench and Stewart with the season high nine points.
 
The Bearcats had five players finish in double figures, led by Lakhin (19), Dan Skillet, Jr. (16), Aziz Bandaogo (12), Newman (11) and Simas Lukosius (11). Jazzie James, who scored nine off the bench, is the brother of Howard standout sophomore running back Eden James.
 
GAME NOTES: The loss snapped a 10-game home streak for the Bison. Cincinnati held a 54-34 advantage on points in the paint and 28-10 on second chance opportunities. The Howard defense forced the Bearcats into 3-of-18 shooting from the three-point line while hitting on 50-percent from the field, 42-percent from beyond the arc and 86-percent from the free throw line.
 
NEXT UP: Howard will get a break for midterms before returning to action at Penn (Dec. 11). Tipoff at 7 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.