WASHINGTON (December 11, 2024) – Freshman standout Blake Harper (Washington) continues to show why he is one of the freshmen in the country, recording a triple-double to lead five Bison in double figures as the Howard University men's basketball team coasted to 124-50 win Virginia-Lynchburg (VUL) in a nonconference at Burr Gymnasium.
 
The win snapped a four-game losing streak for the Bison while the Dragons are still looking for their first win of the season.
 
Playing without three of its starters in, guards Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Joshua Strong (Minneapolis) and junior forward Dom Campbell (Scarborough, Maine), who sat out with injuries, along with key reserve junior forward Ose Okojie (Brampton, Canada), Howard (4-6) got off to a sluggish start against the inspired visitors.
 
UVL (0-12) played toe-to-toe with the Bison, tying the score, 15-15, at the 12-minute mark of the first quarter. Then, using the scoring of Harper, senior guard Marcus Dockery (Washington) and graduate guard Cameron Shockley-Okeke (Norwalk, Conn.), Howard reeled off a 20-2 run over a 10-minute stretch to put the game away. 
 
HU led, 54-27, at intermission.
 
In the second half, Harper put on a dazzling display of all-around skills not seen in many years. The 6-foot-8 freshman guard from Gonzaga College High School in D.C. tallied a game-high 30 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in 34 minutes of work. Blake has been named MEAC Rookie of the Week five weeks in a row.
 
The sharpshooting Dockery finished with 29 points and seven rebounds. He connected on a career-best 7-of-12 from beyond the arc while also posting career best in assists (5).
 
Cameron-Shockley contributed 21 points and 12 boards while junior forward Miles Stewart (Orlando, Fla.) got into the act with his first career double-double (15 points & 11 rebounds).
 
Graduate guard Anwar Gill (Washington) tallied 13 points for the Bison.
 
For the game, the Bison shot 52-percent (44-of-85) and 42-percent (17-of-35), both season highs. They also were credited with 34 assists on 44 baskets.
 
The Dragons, who have given up 100 or more points in 10 games this season, was led by Saveon Jackson with a team-high 23 points and Tereance Johnson with 11 points.
 
NEXT UP: Howard hosts UNC Wilmington Saturday (Dec. 14) at 3 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.