WASHINGTON (February 16, 2025) – Howard University women's basketball team faces Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Monday (Feb. 17) in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdown inside Burr Gymnasium. Game time is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 
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GAME 24
 
EVENT: Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) matchup
PARTICIPANTS: Maryland Eastern Shore (Hawks) at Howard (Bison)
DATE: Monday, February 17, 2025
LOCATION: Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C.
TIME: 5:30 p.m.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
UMES
 
UMES (8-14, 3-4 MEAC) is coming off a 70-48 road loss to Norfolk State Saturday (Feb. 15). Maryland Eastern Shore was led by Ce'nara Skanes with 11 points and 8 rebounds and Brianna Barnes with 10 points.
 
HOWARD
 
Saturday (Feb. 15), graduate forward Kaiya Creek (Seat Pleasant, Md.) came off the bench to score a season-high 21 points to lead the Bison to a 62-45 win over Delaware State (DSU) at Memorial Hall.
 
WHEN THE TWO LAST MET
 
On Feb. 10, graduate guard Destiny Howell (Queens, N.Y.) poured in a game-high 24 points and freshman guard Saniyah King (Washington) added 11 points as the Bison pulled away to a 66-56 win over UMES at the Hytche Center.
 
The Hawks were led by Mahogany Lester (14 points) and Ashanti Lynch with 10 points off the bench.
 
SERIES RECORD
 
Howard defeated UMES, 66-56, (February 10, 2025) in Princess Anne, MD., when they met a week ago in a makeup game. The Bison have won eight-in-a-row. The Hawks last won, 66-59 (February 5, 2022). Howard leads the series, 26-15, since the 2004-05 season.
 
THE COACHES
 
The Hawks are coached by Malikah Willis (Iowa, '99), who is in her first season. Howard is led by Ty Grace (New Haven, '99), who is in her 10^th season.                                                                                                                                                                  
 
PLAYERS TO WATCH
 
UMES PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
2          Mahogany Lester        8.6 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 59 3FGM & 48-percent FG
25        Ashanti Lynch             7.7 ppg & 3.8 rpg
35        Dakieran Turner         5.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg & team-leading 53-percent FG%
1          Aleah James                 3.6 ppg & 2.3 rpg
12        Brianna Barnes           8.4 ppg, 3.6 rpg & 35-percent 3FG%
 
UMES KEY RESERVES   
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
11        Zamara Haynes           11.2 ppg, 3.7 rpg, team-high 54 assists & 39 steals
33        Lainey Allen                4.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg & team-high 13 blocked shots
23        Ce'nara Skanes           7.3 ppg & 6.1 rpg
 
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
1          Destiny Howell           14.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, team-leading 44 3FGM & 85-percent FT%
23        Tyana Walker              4.9 ppg & 2.2 rpg
25        Nile Miller                    5.6 ppg, 5.0 rpg, team-leading 21 blocks & 38 steals
0          Saniyah King                11.1 ppg, 3.0 rpg, team-leading 106 assists & 35 steals
24        Zennia Thomas            10.6 ppg, 7.2 rpg, 52-percent FG% & 65 offensive rebounds
 
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                          2024-25 Stats                                                                                    
22        Kaiya Creek               5.0 ppg & 3.3 rpg
14        Vanessa Blake             4.3 ppg, 3.0 rpg, team-leading 61-percent FG%
5          Marissa Steel               1.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg & 53-percent FG%
 
GAME NOTES
HAWK NOTES
 
The Hawks' forte has been rebounding this season, outrebounding its opponents (+6) while recording almost 10 steals per game…UMES is committing 21 turnovers per game while allowing six three pointers per games.
 
BISON HOOVES
 
Howell is now 13^th on the all-time Howard scoring list with 1,258 points and needs 59 points to move up to 10^th all-time in school history…Howell has made 33-of-her-last-36 from the charity stripe while recording a made three-pointer in all but two games this season…Howell is the only Howard player to start all 23 games this season…Howell is on schedule to have a career season in assists...Howell has scored 20 points or more six times this season...King, the favorite for MEAC Rookie of the Year, has been named Rookie of the Week eight times this season...King leads the MEAC in assists (117)…King has dealt out 37 assists in the past six games and reached double figures in scoring in the past nine games…junior forward Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) missed her first game of the season at Delaware State (Feb. 15)…During the team's recent surge, Thomas played a role with 65 points and 39 rebounds before missing the DSU game…Thomas leads the team in doubles-doubles with four this season…junior forward Nile Miller (Haddonfield, N.J.) has come on strong of late, tallying 42 points, 43 rebounds, eight steals and six blocks during the current win streak…redshirt sophomore guard Tyana Walker (Leawood, Kan.), one of the premier three-point shooters in the MEAC, has begun to come alive at the right time…Since being inserted into the starting lineup, she has connected on 6-of-11 from downtown…Senior forward Vanessa Blake (Summerville, S.C.), who now comes off the bench, has given the Bison a spark with 34 points and 16 rebounds in the past five games…Senior forward Marissa Steel (Laurel, Md.) played her best game of the season at DSU.
 
MEAC STATS
 
UMES
 
The Hawks lead the MEAC in three-point defense (29-percent) and rebounding margin (9.6).
 
Individually, Zamaria Haynes is sixth in free throw shooting (65-percent), 10^th in assists (2.3) and 11^th in scoring (11.2)…Lester leads the MEAC in three-point field goal shooting (42-percent) and is seventh in rebounding (5.5)…Barnes is eighth in field goal percentage (43-percent).
 
HOWARD
 
As a team, Howard is second in scoring defense (61 ppg), team field goal shooting defense (37-percent) and turnover margin.
 
Individually, Howell leads the conference in three pointers made per game (2.3), second in free throw shooting (84-percent), fourth in scoring (14.8), ninth in three-point shooting (33-percent), 10^th in minutes played and 12^th in assists (2.1)...King leads the MEAC in assists (5.1), second in assists/turnover ratio, sixth in minutes played (32.0), 12^th in scoring, 13^th in steals and 14^th in field goal shooting…Thomas leads the MEAC in field goal percentage (50-percent), fourth in rebounding (7.3) and 12^th in blocked shots...Miller is ranked fifth in blocked shots and ninth in steals and rebounding.
 
NCAA STATS
 
HOWARD
 
King is ranked second in assists among all freshmen behind Liv McGill (Florida)…King ranks 38^th overall among all players and one of only five freshmen to average over 10 points and four assists per game.
 
NEXT UP
 
Howard begins a four-game road swing at Morgan State Saturday (Feb. 22). Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.