DURHAM, N.C. (January 16, 2026) – Howard University women's basketball team looks to bounced back from a 62-56 road loss at UMES (Maryland Eastern Shore) Saturday (Jan. 10) when it travels to Durham, N.C., to take on the Eagles of North Carolina Central University (NCCU) Saturday (Jan. 17) at 2 p.m., inside the McDougald-McLendon Arena (3,500).
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Bison Nation can follow all the action via
ESPN+ and
live stats.
LAST TIMEOUT
HOWARD
On Jan. 10, senior forward
Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) scored a team-high 18 points and freshman guard
Ariella Henigan (Chicago) added 11 points but poor free throw shooting in the second half and a 10-4 closeout allowed UMES to pull out a 62-56 win over ther Bison in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdown at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center.
NCCU
The Eagles (3-13, 0-3 MEAC) dropped a 77-70 decision at Coppin State Saturday (Jan. 10). NCCU was led by graduate guard Aniya Finger with 21 points and seven rebounds.
PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
24
Zennia Thomas Senior Forward 15.2 ppg, 7.4 rpg & 24 blocks
25
Nile Miller Senior Forward 7.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg & 47 steals
11
Sa'lah Hemingway Junior Forward 2.0 ppg & 2.9 rpg
23
Zoe Stewart R-Junior Guard 12.4 ppg & 43-percent FG%
4
Ariella Henigan Freshman Guard 7.9 ppg, 2.5 rpg & 41 assists
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
15
April Edwards R-Sophomore Guard 4.3 ppg & 89-percent FT%
21
Rayne Durant Junior Forward 3.2 ppg, 2.5 rpg & 51-percent FG%
NCCU PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
24 Aniya Finger Graduate Forward 11.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg & 40-percent 3PT%
3 Morgan Callahan Graduate Forward 12.3 ppg, 6.8 rpg & 28 steals
20 Natalie Jasper Graduate Guard 2.9 ppg & 2.1 rpg
5 Nia Young R-Senior Guard 4.5 ppg & 2.6 rpg
23 Najah Lane Senior Guard 6.7 ppg, 2.9 rpg & 67 assists
NCCU KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
0 Aysia Hinton Junior Guard 5.6 ppg
4 Tierney Coleman Graduate Guard 6.2 ppg, 3.0 rpg & 41-percent 3PT%
15 Dianna Blake Sophomore Forward 4.2 ppg, 4.3 rpg & 10 blocks
THE COACHES
Howard is led by
Ty Grace (New Haven, '99), who is in her 11
th season and the second winningest coach in school history. NCCU is coached by Terrence Baxter (Pfeiffer, '01), who is in his fifth season.
SERIES RECORD
Howard has won three-in-a-row in the series, including last year's 74-51 win in Durham (March 1, 2025). The two have split the last six with the Eagles last winning, 70-64, in overtime (February 17, 2024). Howard leads the series 17-5, dating back to 2011.
GAME NOTES
HOWARD
Howard is holding opponents to 26-percent shooting from three and allowing only 63 points per game…Nationally, the Bison are ranked 38
th in three-point shooting percentage defense…Some of Howard's success in close victories has been its free throw shooting, converting on 71-percent from the charity stripe…The vaunted Howard defense continues to be its staple, recording almost 20 points off opponents' turnovers while also averaging 10.1 steals and almost 4.0 blocks…Nationally, senior forward
Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.) is tied for 24
th in total steals…Thomas, the early leading candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, is third in free throw attempts and tied for 12
th in free throws made…Howard is the preseason pick to win the MEAC…Miller and Thomas are preseason First Team All-MEAC selections…Thomas has reached double figures in all but three games this season and has recorded six double doubles…In the MEAC, Howard leads the conference in scoring offense (64.5 ppg), field goal shooting percentage (40-percent), assists, assists/turnover ratio, free throw shooting percentage (70-percent) and three-point shooting percentage defense (26-percent)…Individually, Thomas still leads the MEAC in scoring (15.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg)…Redshirt junior guard
Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) ranks fourth in scoring and field goal percentage (43-percent), sixth in three-point shooting percentage and eight in three pointers made…Miller is third in steals and ninth in blocks and rebounds…Henigan is third in free throw shooting percentage and seventh in assists…Junior forward
Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) is eighth in blocks…It must be noted that Howard played without the services of junior guard
Destiny Bynum-Johnson (Newark, N.J.), who is out definitely with an injury, and redshirt sophomore guard
April Edwards (Little Rock, Ark.), who have played a key role in the team's success…Henigan has scored in double figures five-of-the-last-six games while recording 21 assists during that stretch…Durant and redshirt sophomore
Dally Moreno (Bronx, N.Y.) will be expected to pick up the slack from Bynum- Johnson's absence; The duo combined for 11 points in the loss at UMES…Howard has held its last seven opponents to under 65 points.
NCCU
In the MEAC, the Eagles rank second in offense (63.5 ppg), offensive rebounding (13.2), assists and steals…Individually, Morgan Callahan is having her best all-around season, ranking second in rebounding (6.8), fifth in scoring and field goal shooting percentage, seventh in steals and eighth in free throw shooting percentage…Finger is ninth in scoring and 10
th in rebounding…Tierney Coleman is second in three-point shooting percentage (41-percent)…Aysia Hinton is second in three-point shooting percentage and eighth in three-point shooting percentage (32-percent)…Najah Lane leads the MEAC in assists and assists/turnover ratio…Dianna Blake ranks fifth in blocks.
NEXT UP
The Bison continue their early MEAC road swing when they travel up the Beltway to take on the Eagles of Coppin State Thursday (Jan. 22) at 6 p.m.
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website
www.hubison.com.
