COLUMBIA, Mo. (November 2, 2026) --- Howard University women's basketball team led most of the game, but the contest went into overtime where the Bison fell just short, 91-88, to Missouri in a thriller at the Missouri Arena.
The Bison (0-1) took control early and kept the host at bay with balanced scoring.
Fifth-year guard
Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) was able to get going early but she got into foul trouble and finished with 14 points in only 27 minutes.
Her backcourt mate, sophomore guard
Ariella Henigan (Chicago), was not able to provide support, but she was able to get teammates involved with a game-high six assists. The Chicago native also got into foul trouble, scoring four points and logging only 16 minutes.
With the duo shackled with foul trouble, senior guards
Destiny Bynum-Johnson (Newark, N.J.) and
April Edwards (Little Rock, Ark.), senior forwards
Sa'lah Hemingway (San Bernardino, Calif.) and
Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.), fifth-year transfer
Saniya Jones (Tucker, Ga.) and freshman guard
Indiah Hutchinson (Hammond, Ind.) picked up the slack.
Bynum-Johnson, who was plagued with injuries last season, came up big with the first double-double in a Bison uniform with 13 points and 11 rebounds.
Hemingway, known for defense and leadership, had her best all-around game in a Bison uniform with 13 points that featured her connecting on both three-point attempts.
Edwards chipped in with 15 points
Jones tallied 10 board and eight points in her Bison debut.
Durant saw playing time last year but did not make this kind of contribution, grabbing 11 rebounds.
And finally, Hutchinson made her collegiate debut with 14 points.
The Bison led by 19 near the end of the third quarter, but the home team from the SEC rallied on a 30-13 fourth quarter run to tie the game, 82-82, and send it into overtime.
The Bison bench outscored the Tigers, 37-9, and had the lead for 37 minutes. But the host converted on a whopping 27-of-42 from the charity stripe while Howard was 15-of-20.
Missouri (1-0) was led by McKenzie Mathurn with a career-high 29 points, followed Nevaeh Caffey with 17 points. Khloe Ford notched a double-double (15 points & 15 rebounds).
NEXT UP: Howard hosts Elon in its home opener Friday (Nov. 6) at Burr Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at
www.HUBison.com.
