WASHINGTON (January 30, 2026) – Howard University women's basketball team seeks to extend its three-game win streak when it hosts rival Norfolk State (NSU) Saturday (Jan. 31) in a MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) clash. Tipoff is schedule for 1 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium.
Both teams come into the game with 5-1 conference records, a game behind first place UMES (Maryland Eastern Shore). The Spartans and the Bison suffered their only conference defeat to the Hawks.
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LAST TIMEOUT
NORFOLK STATE
On Jan. 24, the Spartans (10-11, 5-1 MEAC) are coming off a 69-58 home win over Coppin State, winning its fourth streak. Junior guard Da'Brya Clark scored a team-high 30 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor, including 8-of-14 from three-point land.
HOWARD
Saturday (Jan. 24), senior forwards
Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) and
Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.) each recorded double-doubles to lead five Bison in double figures as HU rebounded from a sluggish first-half start to pull away to a 71-57 win over Morgan State at Burr Gymnasium.
PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
NSU PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
1 Da'Brya Clark Junior Guard 15.3 ppg, 5.2 rpg & 22 blocks
4 Anjanae Richardson Junior Guard 10.0 ppg & 4.5 rpg
3 Jasha Clinton Graduate Guard 13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg & 80 assists
24 Le'Aire Nicks Sophomore Center 5.1 ppg, 3.7 rpg & 50-percent 3FG%
7 Cire Worley Junior Guard 7.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg & 81-percent FT%
NSU KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
25 Ciara Bailey Senior Forward 5.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg & 12 blocks
15 Carmen Kweti Senior Forward 3.6 ppg & 5.1 rpg
20 Niyah Gaston Junior Guard 2.7 ppg
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
24
Zennia Thomas Senior Forward 15.5 ppg, 7.8 rpg & 28 blocks
25
Nile Miller Senior Forward 7.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 53 steals
11
Sa'lah Hemingway Junior Forward 3.0 ppg & 2.8 rpg
23
Zoe Stewart R-Junior Guard 12.2 ppg & 23 3FGM
4
Ariella Henigan Freshman Guard 8.3 ppg, 2.6 rpg & 45 assists
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
15
April Edwards R-Sophomore Guard 4.4 ppg & 91-percent FT%
21
Rayne Durant Junior Forward 3.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg & 12 blocks
THE COACHES
Norfolk State is coached by Jermaine Woods (Norfolk State, '11), who is his first season. Howard is led by
Ty Grace (New Haven, '99), who is in her 11
th season and the second winningest coach in school history.
SERIES RECORD
The Spartans have won five-in-a-row and six-of-the-last-seven meetings, including last year's 68-56 victory in the MEAC Tournament Final (March 15, 2025). The Bison's last win against NSU came on January 20,2024 when they prevailed, 73-60, in D.C.
Norfolk State leads the series, 20-19, dating back to 2007. The two have met for the tournament title six straight seasons.
GAME NOTES
NSU
In the MEAC, the Spartans rank No. 1 in defensive scoring (61.0 ppg), field goal percentage defense (35-percent), three-point field goal defense (27-percent), three pointers made per game (5.5), blocks, assists and steals…Individually, Clark leads the MEAC in three-point shooting…Jasha Clinton leads the MEAC in steals…Cire Worley is fifth in three-point shooting percentage (33-percent)…Anjanae Richardson is fourth in steals and seventh in assists…Ciara Bailey leads the MEAC in blocks…Carmen Kweti is second in blocks…Nationally, the Spartans are tied for 23
rd in blocks and tied for 28
th in turnovers forced per game…Bailey ranks 34
th in blocks and 49
th in blocks per game…Norfolk State, the defending regular season and 2025 MEAC Champs, were picked second in the preseason poll.
HOWARD
Howard is holding opponents to 26-percent shooting from three and allowing only 63 points per game…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, holding its last 10 opponents to under 66 points…Nationally, Miller is tied for 33
rd in total steals…Thomas, the early leading candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, ranks second nationally in free throw attempts and tied for eighth in free throws made…Thomas is now tied for 28
th in the nation in double-doubles….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 eight double-doubles…In the MEAC, Howard leads the conference in scoring offense (65.0 ppg), field goal shooting percentage (39-percent), assists, assists/turnover ratio, free throw shooting percentage (71-percent)…Individually, Thomas leads the MEAC in scoring (15.5 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg) and field goal percentage (45-percent)…Redshirt junior guard
Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) ranks seventh in scoring (12.0 ppg), fifth in field goal percentage (41-percent) and 10
th in three pointers made…Miller is third in steals, fifth in blocked shots and ninth in rebounding…Freshman guard
Ariella Henigan (Chicago) is fourth in free throw shooting percentage (80-percent) and ninth in assists…Junior forward
Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) is eighth in blocks…Nationally, Howard is ranked 50
th in three-point shooting defense…It must be noted that Howard has played the past five games without the services of junior guard
Destiny Bynum-Johnson (Newark, N.J.), who is out definitely with an injury.…Henigan, who was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week Monday (Jan. 26), has scored in double figures eight-of-the-last-nine games while recording 28 assists during that stretch…Howard is undefeated at home (5-0) this season.
NEXT UP
NSU hosts NCCU (North Carolina Central) Saturday (Feb. 7) at 2 p.m., while the Bison entertain South Carolina State (Feb. 7) inside Burr Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
