DAYTON, Ohio (March 19, 2024) – Graduate forward Seth Towns (Columbus, Ohio) and junior guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) each scored 16 points but the combination of a 17-point deficit and the balanced scoring proved to be too much to overcome as the Howard University men's basketball team fell, 71-68, to Wagner College (WC) in the NCAA First Four at the University of Dayton Arena.
 
The Bison fell behind by 17 in the first half due to one of their poorest shooting performances of the season. Wagner (17-15) used the scoring of Melvin Council, Jr., who led all scorers with 21 points.
 
Howard made a run near the end of the half but still trailed double digits, 38-27.
 
Howard again found itself down by 17, 48-31, mark of the second half. Then, the resilient Bison, who have had aversity all season, scrapped and clawed their way back, using a 37-21 run during a 15-minute stretch to cut the deficit to one, 69-68, with 17 seconds remaining.
 
"That run is a testament to who we are and what we have been through all season," said Harris, an All-MEAC First Team selection and team leading scorer. "This is a resilient group. What you saw tonight was no surprise to us. We look at ourselves as brothers and brothers look out for each other in tough times."
 
Council closed out the victory with two free throws for the final points.
 
During the season, the Bison have had 13 different starting lineups and a total of 82 games missed by players. Moreover, they had to play three games in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament in less than 72 hours to get to The Big Dance.
 
"This was one of the most challenging seasons I have experienced in all my years of coaching," confessed Howard Head Coach Kenneth Blakeney. "Because of all the injuries, we were never able to have any continuity until the last seven or eight games. A lot of the credit goes to Seth. He emerged as a leader and helped us through the challenging times."
 
The Bison were able to work their way back into the game by connecting on 50-percent from the field after intermission.
 
Normally, a good three-point shooting team, Howard hit only 7-of-24 from downtown.
 
In addition to his scoring, Council dealt out seven assists. His teammates Julian Brown (15 points & eight assists), Keyontae Lewis and Tahron Allen each chipped in with 10 points.
 
For the game, Howard outrebounded their opponent, 36-28, and converted on 81-percent (17-of-21) from the charity stripe, but Wagner shot 50-percent for the game, including 8-of-17 from the three-point line to offset the Bison's success.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.