NORFOLK, Va. (March 10, 2026) – Howard University women's basketball team opens the quarterfinals of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) against South Carolina State (SC State), the No. 8 seed.
 
The Bison (23-7) come in as the top seed after capturing the regular season title Thursday (March 5) at Norfolk State (NSU). It was the 11^th straight win for Howard heading into the tournament. The game is scheduled for a noon tipoff inside the Norfolk Scope.
 
FOLLOW THE ACTION
 
Bison Nation can follow all the action via ESPN+ and live stats. Fans can also listen online. Tickets are still available here.
 
LAST TIMEOUT
 
SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
 
SC State (5-24, 2-12 MEAC) fell, 67-41, to North Carolina Central University at home Thursday (March 5) for their 11^th straight loss. Shaunice Reed led the Bulldogs in scoring with 14 points.
 
HOWARD
 
On March 5, redshirt junior guard Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) scored a team-high 19 points and freshman guard Ariella Henigan (Chicago) and senior forward Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.) added 14 points and 13 points, respectively, to lead the Bison to an impressive 74-59 win at NSU.
 
PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
 
SC STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
3          Monajah Ford                         Junior              Forward          4.0 ppg
1          Mya Giles                                Freshman        Guard              2.8 ppg
24        Heaven Harper                       Junior              Center             4.7 ppg, 4.4 rpg & 11 blocks
14        Shaunice Reed                         Senior             Guard              10.6 ppg, 3.8 rpg & 49 steals
20        DaH'Neisha Blige                    Junior              Guard              2.9 ppg & 2.0 rpg
 
 
SC STATE KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                                                
15        Terrannya Medlock                Freshman        Forward          2.2 ppg & 1.1 rpg
10        Iemyiah Harris                        Senior             Guard              12.5 ppg & 3.5 rpg
2          Mya Byrd                                Senior             Guard              7.6 ppg, 2.2 rpg & 57 assists
 
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
24        Zennia Thomas                       Senior             Forward          15.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg & 32 blocks
25        Nile Miller                               Senior             Forward          7.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg & 71 steals
11        Sa'lah Hemingway                  Junior              Forward          3.7 ppg & 3.2 rpg
23        Zoe Stewart                            R-Junior          Guard              12.2 ppg & 44-percent FG%
4          Ariella Henigan                       Freshman        Guard              8.5 ppg & 2.6 rpg
 
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
 
No.      Name                                      Class                Position           2025-26 Stats                        
15        April Edwards                         R-Sophomore Guard              5.6 ppg
21        Rayne Durant                          Junior              Forward          2.6 ppg & 17 blocks
5          Destiny Bynum-Johnson          Junior              Guard              5.7 ppg & 4.1 rpg
 
THE COACHES
 
SC State is coached by Cedric W. Baker (Voorhees, '90), who is in his season at the helm. 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
 
Howard has won 11-in-a-row, including an 85-66 victory in D.C. (Feb. 7).
 
The Bulldogs last won, 72-63, in Orangeburg (Jan. 2019).
 
Howard maintains a 17-8 advantage in the series, dating back to 2006.
 
GAME NOTES
 
SC STATE
 
The Bulldogs rank second in the MEAC in steals (10.8)…Individually, Angie Justin Jean is ninth in field goal percent shooting (39-percent)…Reed is fourth free throw shooting percentage (79-percent), fifth in steals and 10^th in scoring (10.5).
 
HOWARD
 
Howard is holding opponents to 26-percent shooting from three and allowing only 61.3 points per game…HU leads the MEAC in scoring (67.2 ppg), shooting percentage (40-percent) and assists/turnover ratio…Nationally, individually, senior forward Zennia Thomas (Cleveland) is tied for 10^th in free throws attempts and 21^st in free throws made…Thomas, the leading candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, leads the MEAC in scoring (15.2 ppg), rebounding (7.9) and shooting percentage (45-percent)…Miller, who is having her best season, ranks third in steals, seventh in rebounding (6.0) and eighth in blocked shots.…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 nine double doubles…Stewart, who was named the MEAC Player of the Week for the first time this season, ranks second in shooting percentage (44-percent), third in three-point shooting percentage (38-percent), sixth in scoring (12.2) and seventh in three pointers made…Henigan, who has been named MEAC Rookie of the Week for the third time this season, is third in free throw shooting percentage (77-percent)…Junior forward Rayne Durant (New Haven, Conn.) is 10^th in blocks…Miller has been named the MEAC Player of the Week for just the second time in her career at Howard after being named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week several times…Howard is beginning to get more consistent scoring and firepower from its bench…Durant, redshirt sophomore guard April Edwards (Little Rock, Ark.), junior guard Destiny Bynum-Johnson (Newark, N.J.) and freshmen Dylan Watson (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Emma Nuquay (Waldorf, Md.) are all contributing to the team offensively and defensively with their different skill sets.
 
NEXT UP
 
A victory would put Howard in Friday's (March 13) semifinal against the winner of the Coppin State-North Carolina Central quarterfinal match. Tipoff at noon.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.