ORANGEBURG, SC (January 3, 2026) -- Jayden Johnson poured in a game-high 24 points with 13 coming after intermission, including what proved to be the game winner at the end as South Carolina State edged the Howard University men's basketball team 58-57, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Gymnasium.
 
The Bison (9-7, 0-1 MEAC) never got the lead and trailed the Bulldogs going into halftime, 30-20. SC State led as many as 14 at one point before Howard whittled the lead down to a workable margin.
 
Senior guard Ose Okojie (Brampton, Canada) and junior guard Cedric Taylor III (Atlanta) combined to lead a 10-1 run that got the Bison into a one-possession game.
 
Two free throws by redshirt freshman guard Isaiah Brown (Ramsey, N.J.) pulled Howard within one, 57-56, with 21 ticks on the clock.
 
On the ensuing possession, Johnson scored what would prove to be the game-winner for the Bulldogs at the buzzer. He was fouled on the play, but he missed the foul shot and the Bulldogs escaped with their fourth straight win over the Bison.
 
Playing in only his sixth game of the season, Taylor, a transfer from Morehouse College, had his best all-around game in a Howard uniform with 11 rebounds, 10 points, three assists, three steals and three blocks.
 
Okojie, who has missed most of the past two seasons with illness, was again a key factor, tallying 13 of his team-high 18 points after intermission on 6-of-11 shooting.
 
Junior guard Cam Gillus (Falls Church, Va.) finished with 11 points, but he failed to register an assist for the first time this season. He came into the game averaging 7.0 dimes in the last three games.
 
For the second straight game, graduate guard Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) had a subpar game. The 6-foot-4 New York native finished with seven points and six rebounds.
 
Howard again was effective with its defense as it got 21 points off SC State mistakes. But the Bison were not able to overcome 31-percent (16-of-52) shooting from the field, including 17-percent (4-of-23) from beyond the arc.
 
Johnson, the Preseason MEAC Player of the Year, finished with 9-of-15 shooting from the floor while teammate Owen Bronston chipped in with 10 points off the bench.
 
NEXT UP: Howard travels to Princess Anne, Md., to take on the Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore Saturday (Jan. 10) at 4:30 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.