WASHINGTON (January 3, 2024) - The Howard University men's basketball team fought back from a 16-point second half deficit--using a 22-6 run--to send the game in overtime but the Bison ran out of gas, falling, 86-78, to Yale in a nonconference game at Burr Gymnasium.
 
The undermanned Bison (5-10) trailed the Bulldogs (9-6) through most of the first half but rallied to take the brief lead, 31-30, before Yale closed out the last 58 seconds with a 6-0 run to take a 36-31 lead to the locker room.
 
Although the Bison held Yale to 36-percent shooting from the field, they were hurt by a combination of second chance opportunities (19-5 second chances) and some poor free throw shooting (7-of-12). 
 
The Bison continued to fight through some shooting woes and the Bulldogs capitalized by going on a 29-18 spurt that opened a 65-49 lead with 5:18 remaining.
 
Then, sensing the urgency, Howard got a collective scoring effort from Seth Towns (Columbus, Ohio), Marcus Dockery (Washington), Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Joshua Strong (Brooklyn Park, Minn.), who combined for 17 of their team's points.
 
Harris, a junior guard, scored on a put back with four seconds remaining to knot the game at 71 and send it into an extra period.
 
Howard, who was playing without key starters sophomore forward Shy Odom (Roxbury, Mass.) and graduate guard Isiah Warfield (Monaca, Pa.) and reserve graduate guard Jelani Williams (Washington), had to go deep into its bench. Odom, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Player of the Year, Warfield and Williams combine to average 25 points and 18 rebounds among them.
 
Yale took the early lead in OT, 73-71, on a Nick Townsend layup. From that point, the Bison were not able to keep up, missing 4-of-5 from the field and only 4-of-8 from the free throw line.
 
The Bulldogs made the most of their opportunities, connecting on 5-of-9 from the floor and 4-of-6 from the free throw line.
 
Dockery, a junior guard, tallied a team-high 21 points. Harris produced 18 points while Towns, a 6-foot-8 graduate forward, and Strong contributed 17 points and 10 points, respectively.
 
Yale was led by John Poulakidas with 23 points. Knowling and Bez Mbeng each with 14 points and Casey Simmons with a double-double (11 points and 11 rebounds) off the bench.
 
Howard had 22 assists on 27 baskets and shot a respectable 42-percent (8-of-19) from beyond the arc, but three statistics stand out:

• Normally, the Bison shoot 74-percent as a team from the free throw line, but made only 16-of-28 (season low 57-percent)
• They lost the battle on second chance points (34-10)
• They lost the rebounding battle, 51-32, including 25-10 on the offensive glass

 
NEXT UP: The Bison open MEAC play Saturday (Jan. 6) when they travel to Durham, N.C., to take on the Eagles of North Carolina Central. Tipoff is scheduled for noon and will be aired on ESPNU.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.