NORFOLK, Va. (January 25, 2025) - Playing shorthanded with only seven Bison in uniform, the Howard University men's basketball team battled and hung tough in the first half, but in the end, Norfolk State (NSU) was able to pull away with a 90-75 win at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall. The game was broadcasted live on ESPNU.
 
It was the Bison's third straight loss.
 
The spirited Bison (8-12, 3-1 MEAC) played without three starters and key reserves but still managed to hang tough against the deeper Spartans, who played with a full complement of players.
 
Both squads were deadlocked at intermission, 35-35. Despite playing with less than full deck, the Bison forced 15 lead changes and seven ties before halftime.
 
Then Norfolk State (14-8, 4-1 MEAC), which rotated 10 Spartans, used a 7-0 run over the first two minutes of the second half to pull away to the victory.
 
The already depleted Howard team began to get into foul trouble and Norfolk State took advantage by connecting on 57-percent shooting in the second half while converting on all 15 free throw attempts.
 
The Bison did not shoot poorly (48-percent) in the second half, but they managed to hit on only 1-of-8 from their specialty area, the three-point line.
 
Graduate forward Cameron Shockley-Okeke (Norwalk, Conn.), who has been thrust into a role as a starter, led the Bison with 19 points. All-MEAC candidate senior guard Marcus Dockery (Washington) tallied 16 points and three steals despite visibly hobbling throughout.
 
Freshman standout Blake Harper (Washington), the shoo-in for MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Rookie of the Year and a strong candidate for Player of the Year consideration, struggled early as he was relegated to running the offense in the absence of starting point guard Anwar Gill (Washington), who missed his second game due to illness and key reserve graduate guard Joshua Strong (Minneapolis), who has been injured the past five games. It showed early as the conference-leading scorer going into the game was held to two points.  The talented first-year Bison rebounded and tallied 13-of-his-15 points after intermission, along with a game-high seven assists.
 
The surprise contributor for the past two games was little-used reserve freshman forward Calvin Robins Jr. (Chicago), who scored a career-high 10 points and grabbed four rebounds in just his second start before fouling out.
 
Norfolk State was led by MEAC Player of the Year candidate Brian Moore Jr., with a game-high 30 points. Christian Ings (19 points), Jalen Myers (15 points) and Kuleul Madding (11 points) contributed to the Spartans' victory.
 
NEXT UP: Howard will get a much-needed break before returning to the court to play rival Hampton Saturday (Feb. 1) at 3 p.m., at the Entertainment Sports Arena in Southeast D.C.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.