DURHAM, N.C. (February 25, 2023) – Howard University men's basketball team fell on the road at North Carolina Central (NCCU), 68-60, inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 
With the loss, HU dropped to 17-12 (9-3 MEAC) while the Eagles (15-11, 8-4 MEAC) extended its win streak to five.
 
Four Bison reached double figures in scoring, led by reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Week freshman forward Shy Odom (Roxbury, Mass.). The Massachusetts native finished with 15 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a pair of steals.
 
HU opened the contest with a quick 6-0 run, capped off by a jumper from sophomore guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.), but NCCU fought back and took its first lead of the game after Ja'Darius Harris made a pair of freebies, 18-17.
 
With more than seven minutes remaining before intermission, Odom delivered a two-hand jam and gave the Bison a slim one-point advantage, 21-20. Moments later, North Carolina Central regained the momentum and closed the half on a 21-9 run and took a double-digit halftime lead, 41-29.
 
After intermission, the Eagles extended their lead to 15 with more than 13 minutes remaining, 50-35, but the Bison refused to go away.
 
HU slowly chipped away at the deficit. Junior forward Jordan Wood (San Antonio) drilled a long ball and cut the margin to single digits with more than 11 minutes left, 53-44.
 
Howard continued to chop away and tied the contest, thanks to a jumper from second-year Bison guard Elijah Hawkins (Washington), 58-58; thus, erasing a 15-point deficit.
 
Both squads battled down the stretch, but NCCU would close out the game on a 10-2 spurt while holding HU scoreless in the final four minutes.
 
Hawkins finished the afternoon with 11 points, five rebounds and five dimes in 39 minutes of action.
 
Howard utilized a rare seven-man rotation with graduates Jelani Williams (Washington) and Kobe Dickson (Holcomb, Kan.) coming off the bench. Both Bison scored 10 points in the loss.
 
Redshirt junior Steve Settle, III (Glenarden, Md.) missed his second straight contest. Harris filled in his absence, playing 24 minutes.
 
For NCCU, Justin Wright had a game-high 24 points while big man Brendan Medley-Bacon flirted with a triple-double (12 points, eight blocks and seven boards).
 
HU looks to snap its brief skid Monday (Feb. 27) when the squad travels to Orangeburg, S.C., to take on the South Carolina State Bulldogs. Tipoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.