WASHINGTON - The Howard University men's basketball team can become the MEAC regular season champion outright when it takes on defending regular season champ, Norfolk State, Thursday on Senior Night in Burr Gymnasium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU at 9 pm ET and there will be live stats.

The worst is that even with a loss, the Bison can share the title with the veteran Spartans. A win outright would give HU its first MEAC regular season title since the 1986-87 season.

Howard (18-12, 10-3 MEAC) is coming off a tough 82-78 road win over South Carolina State on Monday that snapped a two-game losing streak. Playing the second full game without All-MEAC candidate, red-shirt junior forward Steve Settles, III, the Bison got another great effort from graduate reserve guard Jelani Williams, who poured in a game-high 23 points off the bench.

Howard managed to get balanced scoring in Settle's absence.  Freshman forward Shy Odom continues to show he is one of the top freshmen to play in the MEAC, collecting 17 points and six rebounds. He has collected mine MEAC Rookie of the Week honors. Sophomore guard Elijah Hawkins, a candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, tallied 15 points, seven assists and three steals. Sophomore guard Marcus Dockery notched 14 and junior forward Jordan Wood contributed six points and seven rebounds.

The Bison face a tough task when they take on the two-time defending regular season and tournament champs, who are led fifth year senior guard Joe Bryant, Jr (17.6 ppg, 4.3 rpg, team-leading 95 assists, 48 steals and 85-percent from the free-throw line, graduate forward Kris Bankston (14.2 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 47 blocks, 70-percent shooting from the field), redshirt junior guard Caheim Brown (11.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 86 assists), junior guard Christopher Ings (10.1 ppg) and redshirt senior guard Dana Tate, Jr. (9.6 ppg ppg).

Williams, Kobe Dickson and Khalil Robinson, this will be the last time they played in Burr Gymnasium. Head Coach Kenneth Blakeney reflects on the ceremony.

"I am so grateful to them for what they have brought to the culture of this program. Kahlil was our second recruit. He came in with Steve Settle and watching him these last four years be a part of our growth is special."
 
Blakeney continued, "Kobe came in as a transfer and has brough a maturity factor to this program.  It has been a pleasure having him as a part of our growth."

"I can't say enough about Jelani and the impact he has had both on and off the court, setting an example for the other players," Blakeney added. "I will never forget them and what they have contributed."

MEAC STATS
HOWARD: The Bison lead the MEAC in 3-point shooting (37-percent), is secnd in 3-pointers made per game (7.9), in free-throw shooting (72-percent) and third in field-goal shooting (46-percent), in rebounding (35.7) and in assists (14.5 per game). Individually, Hawkins leads the conference in assists (6.0 per game), is fourth in steals and in assists/turnover ratio, fifth in 3-pointers made per game and sixth in scoring (12.6); Settle is second in free-throw shooting (84-percent), third in rebounding (6.0) and and eighth in blocked shots; Dockery is third in 3-pointers made per game and Wood is fourth; Bryce Harris is 10th in blocked shots. 

NORFOLK STATE:  The Spartans are Number 1 in several conference statistical categories, scoring (76.7 ppg), in field-goal shooting (58-percent), in defensive field-goal percentage defense (41-percent), in free-throw shooting (74-percent) and in assists/turnover ratio. They are second in blocked shots and in rebounding (35.6) and third in in defense allowing 68.7 points per game.  

SERIES RECORD: The Bison snapped a five-game losing streak to NSU with an 86-84 win at Norfolk on January 14, ending the Spartans' 19-game win streak. The Spartans have won five of the last six. Howard's last win, 61-59 in OT at Burr, was on March 2, 2015.

NEXT UP:  The Bison will find out their opponent in the upcoming MEAC Tournament (March 8-11) when the pairings are announced

For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.


Contributors: Chevonne Mansfield and Jalisa Fulwood