DAYTON, Ohio (March 17, 2026) – Senior guard Ose Okojie (Brampton, Canada) scored a career-high 23 points to lead four Bison in double figures as the Howard University men's basketball defeated UMBC, 86-83, in the NCAA First Four at the University of Dayton Arena.
 
The win gives the Bison their first-ever NCAA Tournament win in school history but more importantly, they advance to the next round where they will face No. 1 seed Michigan Thursday (March 19) in Buffalo, N.Y.
 
The 24^th win equals the most ever in school history. In 1986-87, the team finished 24-4.
 
Okojie, mostly known as an elite defender, has is having his best season by adding to his repertoire in tripling his career average in points and assists. He picked up where he left off in the MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) Championship when he got Howard (24-10) going by scoring nine of its first 11 points.
 
Then, the balanced scoring, which has become one of the keys to the team's success, came into play as guards Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Cedric Taylor III (Atlanta) took turns scoring and keeping the Retrievers at bay. Harris, the MEAC Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, showed why he is regarded as one of the top players in Division I basketball. The New York native recorded a double-double (19 points & 14 rebounds) and five assists in a night's work. Taylor, First Team All-MEAC selection, chipped in with 15 points and six rebounds.
 
Bison led, 49-41, at the half.
 
UMBC began to creep back into the game and slowly cut the one time 11-point deficit to two late in the second half.
 
Then, the X-factor sophomore forward Travelle Bryson (Anderson, S.C.) and junior guards Alex Cotton (Carrollton, Texas) and Cam Gillus (Falls Church, Va.) made their presence felt to ensure that the team not falter down the stretch.
 
Bryson, a high riser and difficult to contain, came off the bench and tallied 11 key points on 5-of-7 shooting.
 
Cotton, the team's long-range sharpshooter, contributed eight points, including two of his specialty, the three-point shot. The transfer from North Texas has also added to his game of late, recording two steals and an important blocked shot.
 
And then there is the unheralded Gillus, who does whatever is necessary to help his team win from the point guard position. In the past three games of the season and the tournament, Gillus, a transfer from Lehigh, boasts a triple-double, the first of his career and only the second in school history, and scored in double digits in the MEAC Semifinals and Championship, including a career-high 25 points.
 
With his teammates providing the scoring, Gillus relegated himself to the role of playmaker, dishing out seven assists and committing only one turnover in 38 minutes of play. He added eight points for good measure.
 
UMBC (24-9) came into the game riding a 12-game win streak and played well, matching the Bison in several categories. Normally, a good free throw shooting team, the Retrievers missed eight free throws.
 
Another key to the victory was the Howard defense, which has played well of late. UMBC was scoring at an 86-point per game clip during its current run. Their talented guard DJ Armstrong had put on a spectacular offensive display in the team's win over Vermont in the American East Championship. Against the Bison, he tallied 16 points and six rebounds. Jah'Likai King paced the Retrievers with 19 points, followed by Caden Diggs with 15 points and eight rebounds and Ace Valentine added 11 points in a losing cause.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.