ORANGEBURG, S.C. (January 2, 2026) – Howard University women's basketball team will be looking to rebound from a disappointing 64-58 road loss at Army (Dec. 29) and get back in the win column Saturday (Jan. 3) for its MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) opener at South Carolina State (SC State). Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m., inside Smith-Hammond-Middleton Gymnasium.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
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LAST TIMEOUT
HOWARD
Monday (Dec. 29), senior forward
Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.) had one of her best all-around performances of the season with 14 points and eight rebounds, but it was not enough to overcome the foul trouble of fellow classmate forward
Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) as the Bison fell, 64-56, at Army in a nonconference clash inside Christi Arena.
SC STATE
The Bulldogs (3-12) enter the game following a 77-32 road loss at UNCG (Dec. 22). Angie Justin-Jean led the way with 11 points, six rebounds and four steals in a losing cause.
PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
24
Zennia Thomas Senior Forward 14.8 ppg, 7.4 rpg & 18 blocks
25
Nile Miller Senior Forward 7.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 40 steals
11
Sa'lah Hemingway Junior Forward 2.8 ppg & 2.9 rpg
23
Zoe Stewart R-Junior Guard 12.7 ppg & 44-percent FG%
4
Ariella Henigan Freshman Guard 7.6 ppg, 2.6 rpg & 31 assists
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
15
April Edwards R-Sophomore Guard 4.0 ppg & 87-percent FT%
21
Rayne Durant Junior Forward 3.1ppg & 2.6 rpg
5
Destiny Bynum-Johnson Junior Guard 5.4 ppg & 4.1 rpg
SC STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
9 Angie Juste-Jean Senior Guard 9.6 ppg & 5.1 rpg
2 Mya Byrd Senior Guard 8.9 ppg, 2.1 rpg & 44 assists
7 Dream Watson Freshman Guard 2.2 ppg & 1.1 rpg
22 Ja'Silyah Holmes Senior Forward 8.0 ppg & 3.0 rpg
24 Heaven Harper Junior Center 4.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg & 7 blocks
SC STATE KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
6 Feliah Greer Senior Center 5.1 ppg & 4.7 rpg
0 Janiah Hinton Senior Guard 2.7 ppg & 1.7 rpg
8 Kimera Smith Sophomore Forward 2.3 ppg & 1.6 rpg
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. SC State is coached Cedric W. Baker (Vorhees, '90), who is in his first year with the Bulldogs program.
SERIES RECORD
Howard leads the series, 15-8, since January 2006. The Bison have won 10-in-a-row, including last year's 89-39 win in Orangeburg. The Bulldogs last won, 72-63, in Orangeburg (January 2019).
GAME NOTES
HOWARD
Howard is holding opponents to 26-percent shooting from three and allowing only 62 points per game…Some of Howard's success in close victories has been its free throw shooting, converting on 74-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, Miller ranks 12
th steals and 42
nd in steals per game…Thomas, the early leading candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, is tied for eighth in free throw attempts and tied for ninth in free throws made among all NCAA Division I players…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…In the MEAC, Howard leads the conference in scoring offense, scoring defense, assists/turnover ratio, three-point shooting defense (26-percent) and free throw shooting (73-percent)…Individually, Thomas still leads the MEAC in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg)…Redshirt junior guard
Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) ranks fourth in scoring and field goal shooting (44-percent), sixth in three-point shooting (34-percent) and eighth in three pointers made per game…Miller is eighth in rebounding, third in field goal shooting (45-percent) and steals and ninth in blocked shots…Freshman guard
Ariella Henigan (Chicago) ranks third in free throw shooting (79-percent) and eighth in assists...Hennigan has come on strong of late, reaching double figures in scoring (14.0 ppg) the past three games, collecting 11 assists and seven steals and connecting on 21-of-26 from the free throw line…The Bison are ranked 13
th in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major poll for the second straight week.
SC STATE
The Bulldogs lead the MEAC in three pointers made per game (5.4) and assists per game (12.2)…Individually, Shaunice Reed leads the conference in field goal shooting (45-percent)…Juste-Jean is eighth in field goal shooting (39-percent) and steals…Mya Byrd is second in assists/turnover ratio, fourth in assists, sixth in three pointers per game and ninth in three-point shooting percentage (30-percent)…Feliah Greer ranks fourth in steals.
NEXT UP
Howard plays its MEAC home opener against Delaware State Thursday (Jan. 8) at 6 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium. SC State travels to Baltimore to take on Coppin State Thursday (Jan. 8) at 6 p.m.
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website
www.hubison.com.
