WASHINGTON (January 7, 2026) – Howard University women's basketball team will be looking to continue its winning ways in MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) play when it hosts the Hornets of Delaware State Thursday (Jan. 8) inside Burr Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., live on ESPN+.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
 
Bison Nation can follow all the action via live stats and/or ESPN+. Tickets are still available here.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
HOWARD
 
Saturday (Jan. 3), senior forward Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) recorded a double-double and key plays down the stretch gave HU a hard-fought 68-64 road win over South Carolina State in the MEAC opener at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Gymnasium.
 
DELAWARE STATE
 
The Hornets (3-13, 0-1 MEAC) are coming off a 60-59 home loss to Coppin State Saturday (Jan. 3) at home. Amya Scott came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points in the loss.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
 
DELAWARE STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
5          Nykesha Sanders                    Graduate        Guard              2.3 ppg & 29 assists
3          Jermesha Frierson                  Junior              Guard              7.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg & 23 steals
7          Nevaeh Reaves                       Graduate        Guard              4.9 ppg & 86-percent FT%
10        Ericka Huggins                        Sophomore     Forward          4.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 11 blocks
55        Zyan Reynolds                        Senior             Forward          1.5 ppg & 2.3 rpg
 
DELAWARE STATE KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
1          Amya Scott                             Freshman        Guard              9.3 ppg
11        Aniyah Jones                           Senior             Guard              5.8 ppg
40        Liliana Harrison                      Freshman        Forward          5.6 ppg & 3.4 rpg
 
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
24        Zennia Thomas                       Senior             Forward          15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg & 20 blocks
25        Nile Miller                               Senior             Forward          7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg & 44 steals
11        Sa'lah Hemingway                  Junior              Forward          2.6 ppg & 2.7 rpg
23        Zoe Stewart                            R-Junior          Guard              12.6 ppg & 44-percent FG%
4          Ariella Henigan                       Freshman        Guard              7.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg & 34 assists
 
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
15        April Edwards                         R-Sophomore Guard              4.1 ppg & 89-percent FT%
21        Rayne Durant                          Junior              Forward          2.9 ppg & 2.4 rpg
5          Destiny Bynum-Johnson        Junior              Guard              5.6 ppg & 4.0 rpg
 
THE COACHES
 
Delaware State is led by Jazmone Turner (Muskingum, '16), who is her second season. Howard is coached by Ty Grace (New Haven, '99), who is in her 11^th season and the second winningest coach in school history.
 
SERIES RECORD
 
Howard (11-6, 1-0 MEAC) has won 19-in-a-row in the series, dating back to 2005. In the most recent contest, the Bison prevailed, 85-49, in the MEAC Tournament (March 12, 2025). Howard leads the series, 24-5, since 2005. The Hornets last won, 87-86, in Dover (January 11, 2016).
 
GAME NOTES
 
DELAWARE STATE
 
In the MEAC, the Hornets are second in three-point shooting defense (28-percent) behind Howard and third in defense, allowing only 66 points per game…Individually, Ericka Huggins is fifth in blocked shots and seventh in rebounding…Scott is seventh field goal shooting (40-percent)…Nevaeh Reaves is sixth in three-point shooting (32-percent)… Monday (Jan. 5), Scott was named MEAC Rookie of the Week.
 
HOWARD
 
Howard is holding opponents to 26-percent shooting from three and allowing only 63 points per game…Nationally, the Bison are ranked 41^st in three-point shooting 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…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 eighth in free throw attempts and tied for 14^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, scoring defense, assists/turnover ratio, three-point shooting defense (26-percent) and free throw shooting (71-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 percentage (44-percent) and fifth in three-point percentage (33-percent) and eighth in three pointers made per game…Miller is sixth in rebounding, second in field goal percentage (46-percent) and eighth in blocks…Freshman guard Ariella Henigan (Chicago) ranks seventh in assists...The Bison were ranked 21^st in this week's CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major poll...Monday (Jan. 5), Miller was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
NEXT UP:
 
Delaware State hosts Norfolk State Saturday (Jan. 10) at 2 p.m., while Howard travels to Princess Anne, Md., to take on the Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 10).
 
For more information, visit the official Howard Athletics website www.hubison.com.