WASHINGTON (January 10, 2025) – Howard University women's basketball team continues its three-game home stand Saturday (Jan. 11), meeting rival Morgan State (MSU) inside Burr Gymnasium. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m.
 
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GAME 17
 
PARTICIPANTS: Morgan State (Lady Bears) at Howard University (Bison)
DATE: January 11, 2025
PLACE: Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C.
TIME: 2 p.m.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
HOWARD
 
Saturday (Jan. 4), graduate guard Destiny Howell (Queens, N.Y.) scored a game-high 22 points to lead four Bison in double figures as HU held off a pesky Delaware State team, 74-66, in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener at Burr Gymnasium.
 
MORGAN STATE
 
Playing in her second game in a Morgan State uniform, Naya Ojukwu scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to lead Morgan State (9-8, 2-0 MEAC) to an 84-78 MEAC victory over North Carolina Central Tuesday (Jan. 9) afternoon at Hill Field House.
 
SERIES RECORD
 
This is the 27^th meeting between the two Beltway rivals since the 2005-06 season. The Bison have won four-in-a-row, including last years' 49-44 win in the MEAC Tournament Quarterfinals in Norfolk, Va. The Bears last won, 71-49, in D.C. (Jan. 21, 2023). The two are deadlocked at 13-13 during that period.
 
THE COACHES
 
The Bears are coached by the venerable Ed Davis, Jr. (West Virginia State, '70), who is in his eighth season at the helm. Howard is led by Ty Grace (New Haven,'99), who is in her 10^th season.
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
1          Destiny Howell             16.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, team-leading 35 3FGM & 83-percent FT%
22        Kaiya Creek                 6.2 ppg & 3.7 rpg
25        Nile Miller                    5.0 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 30 steals & team-leading 12 blocks
00        Saniyah King                10.2 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 22 steals & team-leading 80 assists
24        Zennia Thomas            9.4 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 46-percent FG% & 50 offensive rebounds
 
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
23        Tyana Walker              4.3 ppg, 2.3 rpg & 83-percent FT%
14        Vanessa Blake             3.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg & team-leading 61-percent FG%
 
MORGAN STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
00        Tamaria Rumph          7.9 ppg, 3.1 rpg & team-leading 42 assists
14        Laila Fair                      9.6 ppg, 7.6 & team-high 21 blocks
5          Nia Green                   3.9 ppg & 3.5 rpg
1          Dakota Alston             2.3 ppg & 1.2 rpg
13        Naya Ojukwu              18.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg & 54-percent FG% (played in two games)                                                                                                                               
 
MORGAN STATE KEY RESERVES   
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
20        Michaela Bogans        6.1 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 33 assists & team-leading 31 steals
2          Gabrielle Johnson      8.0 ppg & 2.3 rpg
 
GAME NOTES
 
BISON HOOVES
 
Howell, the sharpshooting graduate guard, needs six points to move up to No. 16 on the all-time Howard scoring list…Howell has 1,209 points and counting...Howell had a streak of 21 straight free throws made before missing two in the game versus Delaware State (Jan. 4)…Howell has made 22-of-her-last-24 freebies and has made at least one three-pointer in all but one game this season....Freshman guard Saniyah King (Washington), the early season favorite for MEAC Rookie of the Year, has been named Rookie of the Week six times this season...King leads the MEAC in total assists (80) and the team in minutes played (30.1 per game)...King has recorded 22 assists and only eight turnovers during the current four-game stretch, including an impressive nine assists and only one turnover in the win over Delaware State (Jan. 4)...The Bison have held their opponents to 64.2 points per game and 24-percent from three-point...the Bison are averaging 3.4 blocks and 14.4 points off turnovers…Howard is averaging under 60 points and shooting under 24-percent from three-point distance...junior forward Nile Miller (Haddonfield, N.J.) has come on strong of late, making 15-of-her-last-25 shots and picking up four blocks and nine steals during that period.
 
BEAR NOTES
 
Morgan State has won five-of-the-last-six using its defense to hold three of those opponents to under 50 points. The Bears have found a formula of defense, featuring turning the opponent over and taking advantage of steals and blocks shots where they rank among the MEAC best.
 
MEAC STATS
 
HOWARD
 
Howard is second in assists/turnover ratio.
 
Individually, Howell leads the conference in three-point shooting, second in free throw shooting, third in scoring, ninth in minutes played and 10^th in assists…King leads the conference in assists (5.0 per game), second in assists/turnover ratio and eighth in minutes played…Miller is fifth in steals and seventh in blocked shots…junior forward Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) leads the MEAC in shooting percentage (46-percent) and fifth in rebounding.
 
MORGAN STATE
 
As a team, Morgan State leads the MEAC in team offensive rebounding (15.6).
 
Individually, Rumph is third in steals and seventh in assists…Bannerman is second in three-point shooting (41-percent), third in steals and eighth in field goal shooting…Fair is fourth in rebounding and blocked shots and seventh in field goal shooting…Butler is second in field goal shooting (46-percent) and 10^th in rebounding…Emily Jones is seventh in steals and Michaela Bogans is ninth in steals.
 
NEXT UP
 
Howard concludes its three-game home stand when it takes on Coppin State Monday (Jan. 13) at 5:30 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.