WASHINGTON (December 27, 2024) – Howard University men's basketball returns to action Saturday (Dec. 28), facing longtime rival Hampton in the HBCU Showcase. Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m., live on CBS and Paramount+.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
 
Bison Nation can follow all the action via live stats and/or CBS/Paramount+.
 
GAME 13
 
EVENT: HBCU Showcase/Battle of the Real HU
PARTICIPANTS: Howard (Bison) at Hampton (Pirates)
DATE: December 28, 2024
TIME: 4 p.m.
LOCATION: Hampton Convocation Center in Hampton, Va.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
HOWARD
 
On Dec. 17, senior guard Marcus Dockery (Washington) scored 11 of his team-high 14 points and fellow D.C. native Blake Harper added seven of his 11 points after intermission, but it was not enough as the Bison dropped a 68-65 decision to Drexel at Burr Gymnasium.
 
HAMPTON
 
On Dec. 21, Hampton (7-5) is coming off a 76-68 win over Loyola (Md.) for its fourth straight win. Hampton was led in scoring by former Bison Wayne Bristol Jr. with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Ettienne Strothers (14 points), Xzavier Long (10 points) and Richard Goods with 13 points off the bench.
 
SERIES RECORD
 
This is the 95^th meeting between the two teams with Hampton leading the series, 63-31. The two rivals split last season with Howard winning the first match at The Burr, 92-80, and the Pirates pulled out a 63-61 win in the HBCU Classic in New Jersey.
 
THE COACHES
 
Howard is coached by Kenneth Blakeney (Duke, '95) who is in his sixth season and has led the Bison to two straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament titles and NCAA appearances. Hampton is coached by Ivan Thomas (VCU '99), who is in his first season.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH 
 
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                                      2024-25 Stats                                                                        
15        Cameron Shockley-Okeke       7.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 46-percent 3FG% & 35 3FGM
1          Anwar Gill                                  9.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg & team-leading 40 assists
5          Marcus Dockery                       16.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 40 assists, 14 steals & 47-percent 3FG%
7          Blake Harper                             16.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 35 assists, 13 steals & 82-percent FT%
4          Miles Stewart                            4.0 rpg, 2.3 rpg, six blocked shots & 56-percent FG%
 
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                                      2024-25 Stats                                                                        
2          Dom Campbell                          6.1 ppg, 4.0 rpg & 58-percent FG%
8          Joshua Strong                           7.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg & 25 3FGM
 
HAMPTON PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                                      2024-25 Stats                                                                        
31        Wayne Bristol Jr.                     7.6 ppg & 6.1 rpg
5          Ettienne Strothers                    5.0 ppg & 1.8 rpg 
25        Xzavier Long                              6.3 ppg & 4.2 rpg
1          Noah Farrakhan                        13.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 16 steals & 30 assists
15        Eunique Rink                             3.2 ppg & 1.8 rpg
 
HAMPTON KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                                      2024-25 Stats                                                                        
0          George Beale, Jr                       2.1 ppg, 2.2 rpg & team-leading 31 3FGM  
3          Kyrese Mullen                          9.0 ppg & team-leading 7.7 rpg
                                   
GAME NOTES
 
HOWARD
 
Harper has established himself as one of the top freshmen in the country, being named MEAC Rookie of the Week seven times this season...Harper has also recorded a triple-double, the first in school history versus Virginia-Lynchburg (Dec. 11) and a double-double at No. 14 Cincinnati (Dec. 8)...Dockery is having his best all-around season in a Bison uniform, recently scoring 1,000 career points versus Drexel (Dec. 17)… Dockery is perfect on the season from the free throw line (12-of-12) and shooting nearly 43-percent from beyond the arc in his career…The shorthanded Bison have played the last five games without the services of junior forward Dom Campbell (Scarborough, Maine), senior guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and junior reserve forward Ose Okojie (Brampton, Canada), who combine to average over 20 points and 15 rebounds among them and their status for Saturday's game is unknown at this time…The Bison are averaging 17 assists per game and limiting opponents to 31-percent shooting from the three-point line…A nemesis for the Bison has been the turnover where they are surrendering 17 points a contest off turnovers…Graduate forward Cameron Shockley-Okeke (Norwalk, Conn.) is shooting 58-percent from the field on the season with 17 of his 30 made field goals have come from beyond the arc.
 
HAMPTON
 
Bristol is a former member of the Bison program, who was named the MEAC Rookie of the Year before transferring to Georgetown and then to Hampton…Strother, a redshirt freshman, was named the CAA (Coastal Athletic Association) Rookie of the Week…During the current four-game win streak, the Pirates have averaged almost 90 points while holding their opponents to 68 points.
 
NEXT UP
 
Howard travels to Yale for New Year Day (Jan. 1) Tipoff at 1 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.