WASHINGTON (February 14, 2026) – Redshirt sophomore guard April Edwards (Little Rock, Ark.) scored a career-high 15 points to lead the Howard University women's basketball team to a 66-45 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) clash at Burr Gymnasium.
 
The win was the seventh straight for the surging Bison (19-7, 9-1 MEAC), who are now in first place. The Hawks (14-13, 7-3 MEAC) dropped their second straight contest.
 
The Bison set the tone in the first 10 minutes, taking a 16-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Redshirt junior guard Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) led the way, tallying eight of her 14 points in the first period.
 
UMES fought back, forcing Howard turnovers and managed to get withing striking distance, 27-21, at intermission.
 
Then came what has become the trademark of the Bison's game during the streak. Howard wasted little time coming out of the locker room, connecting on 8-of-16 from the floor in the quarter while limiting the Hawks to 2-of-10 from the field. The result was a 25-7 run that put the game away, 52-28, at the end of three quarters of play.
 
Edwards, whose previous high was 11 points in the season opener at Providence College (Nov. 4), knocked down her three-point attempts while going a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe. On the season, the junior is shooting over 90-percent from the free throw line.
 
MEAC Player of the Year candidate senior forward Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) tallied 10 points and six rebounds in 25 minutes of play.
 
Senior forward Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.), a MEAC Defensive Player of the Year candidate, finished with five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal and a block.
 
Junior guard Destiny Bynum-Johnson (Newark, N.J.) grabbed seven rebounds in 21 minutes of play and freshman guard Ariella Henigan (Chicago) contributed six points and three steals.
 
In all, the Bison had 12 players' score.
 
Defensively, Howard limited the Hawks to 33-percent shooting (15-of-45), including a frigid 2-of-18 from beyond the arc. UMES was furthered rattled, trying to figure out the vaunted Howard press that turned 23 Hawks turnovers into 28 points.
 
In the loss at UMES (Jan. 10), Howard missed 13-of-25 free throws. Tonight, the team did a much better job, converting on 21-of-24 from the charity stripe for a season-high 88-percent.
 
The Hawks were led by Lainey Allen with 12 points, followed by Ashanti Lynch with 9 points.
 
NEXT UP: Howard looks to maintain its first-place lead when it hosts North Carolina Central Saturday (Feb. 21) for Senior Day. Tipoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.