NORFOLK, Va. (March 10, 2023) – No. 3 Howard University women's basketball team won an instant classic with a come-from-behind effort against No. 7 Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament Semifinal round, 62-60, at the Norfolk Scope Arena.
 
With Howard down two in the waning moments, junior guard Kaniyah Harris (Capital Heights, Md.) put up a desperation three as the shot clock expired. It bounced up off the front iron and in to give HU a one-point advantage, 59-58, with 16 ticks left.
 
After a UMES two-pointer put the Lady Hawks back up one, 60-59, Howard called time to advance the ball for the last 10 seconds.
 
After scrambling around for a shot, Harris found senior forward Brooklynn Fort-Davis (Chicago) for the game-winning old-fashion three-point play with only one second remaining.
 
With no timeouts, UMES had to put up a desperation heave that missed, giving HU the gutsy victory.
 
"I'm just unbelievably proud of this team," said Howard women's basketball head coach Ty Grace during the postgame press conference. "I'm glad they're getting this opportunity, especially these two young ladies next to me, who don't necessarily get a lot of recognition."
 
The young ladies Coach Grace was referring to were Hudson and graduate guard Aziah Hudson (Massapequa, N.Y.). Hudson led all scorers with 16 points while Harris filled the stat line, finishing with 10 points, eight boards and six dimes in 40 minutes of action.
 
The Bison duo helped lead a heroic comeback win that felt as though it was slipping away after the first half.
 
"We just knew we had to stay true to ourselves," said Hudson after the win. "We had to play Bison basketball and just have energy."
 
UMES won the opening tip, but Hudson quickly scored a triple to open the scoring for Howard.
 
HU paced themselves early, not letting the Lady Hawks dictate the tempo. They scored seven unanswered points to start the game while holding their opposition scoreless for the first four minutes.
 
The free-flowing play would stop there as Howard's scoring dried up in the last two minutes of the quarter, but the Lady Bison led, 14-12, after one.
 
The Lady Bison began to falter in the second quarter, allowing a 12-0 run as the Lady Hawks took their first lead of the game.
 
The first half concluded with the Lady Bison down, 34-28. They struggled mightily from three and the free-throw line, shooting 17-percent and 22-percent, respectively; however, they were outrebounding their opposition, 23-19.
 
HU started off the second half flat, committing turnovers and missing shots. It looked as if the game might slip away, but the Lady Bison kept themselves just within reach.
 
A stop at the five-minute mark, followed by a bucket from Hudson brought the Lady Bison back to within 10 points.
 
Sophomore guard Nyla Cooper (Fayetteville, N.C.) then hit a three in the corner at the 1:30 left to go in the third, in what felt like a momentum-swinging play.
 
Hudson scored a three at the end of the third to bring HU back to within seven, 48-41.
 
HU carried that momentum into the final period of play, starting off on a 7-0 run and tying the contest at 48 apiece.
 
The teams exchanged buckets for the rest of the quarter, all the way down to the last minute of the game.
 
"I just told them to keep fighting," said Coach Grace about the team trailing after three quarters. "I was like, 'Keep fighting, keep grinding, we're going to win this game.' And they believed it."
 
Howell, MEAC Player of the Year, recorded 11 points in the win
 
This was Howard's second year in a row eliminating UMES in the semifinal stage. Mahogany Lester led the Lady Hawks with 14 points and seven rebounds.
 
After today's win, the Lady Bison have an opportunity to repeat as MEAC Tournament Champions when they face top-seeded Norfolk State Saturday, March 11, live on ESPN+.
 
For more information, visit meacsports.com or the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.