WASHINGTON (January 24, 2026) – Senior forwards Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) and Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.) each recorded double-doubles to lead five Bison in double figures as the Howard University women's basketball team rebounded from a sluggish first-half start to pull away to a 71-57 win over Morgan State University in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdown at Burr Gymnasium.
 
It was the third straight win for the Bison (15-7, 5-1 MEAC).
 
The Bears (3-19, 2-4 MEAC) came out and played with high energy, using an 8-2 burst to take a 15-10 lead at the end of one. HU aided and abetted the Morgan State cause by missing 8-of-its-first-10 shots. Howard head coach Ty Grace became so flustered with her starting five's lack of performance that she sat them all down for the majority of the first quarter.
 
With the starters getting her memo, Howard improved by connecting on 7-of-18 as it trailed only two points, 31-29, at the half.
 
That is when Thomas and Miller, both first team preseason all-conference selections, went to work. The Bison duo combined for 14 of the Bison's 21 points en route to a 50-43 lead at the end of three.
 
Again, the Howard defense continues to show why it is nationally ranked. The Bison limited Morgan State to 5-of-14 shooting while creating three shot clock violations.
 
In the fourth quarter, redshirt guard Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) and freshmen guards Ariella Henigan (Chicago) and Emma Nuquay (Waldorf, Md.) got into the action, combining for 18 of the team's points among them.
 
The 21-14 fourth quarter advantage allowed Howard to pull away and the Bison defense was so effective that it held the Bears scoreless for over six minutes.
 
Thomas, the odds-on-favorite for MEAC Player of the Year honors, continues to make a strong case. In addition to her 13 points, she grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and added two assists.
 
Miller, a strong candidate for MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds while adding three assists, two steals and two blocked shots. The New Jersey native ranks among the nation's best in steals.
 
Stewart, who had been in a scoring slump of late, tallied a team-high 15 points, 13 coming in the second half, along with four steals and two dimes.
 
Henigan, who is making an argument for MEAC Rookie of the Year consideration, chipped in with 10 points, two assists and a steal. It is the seventh straight game that Henigan has reached double figures in scoring.
 
NuQuay came off the bench to have her best outing in a Bison uniform, scoring 12 points in just 17 minutes.
 
For the game, there were 10 lead changes and nine ties, all coming in the first half. Howard won the turnover battle (22 points off Bears 16 miscues), bench production (20-13) and points in the paint (30-22).
 
The Bears were led by Kailyn Nash with 15 points and seven rebounds and Mihjae Hayes, who contributed 11 points and game-high five assists in a losing cause.
 
NEXT UP: Howard hosts Norfolk State, the defending MEAC Champions in a key matchup Saturday (Jan. 31) at 2 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.