The Bison try to force their way back into the MEAC race
Last season, the Howard University Bison men’s basketball program reached their first NCAA Tournament since 1992, 31 years, by defeating Norfolk State 65-64 in a stirring Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship game. The Bison were subsequently designated as the No. 16 seed in the West Region and lost their opening round matchup to No. 1 seed Kansas 96-68.
Despite their early exit from March Madness, it was still a successful season for the HBCU. They were 22-13 overall and 11-3 in MEAC play, winning both the regular season and conference championship. Unfortunately for the Bison, the upward trajectory they experienced stalled this season. They came into Newark, New Jersey this past weekend just 9-14 and 3-3 in the MEAC to face fellow HBCU Hampton University, a former member of the MEAC which left the conference in 2017 to join the Big South Conference beginning in the 2018 season.
Facing the Pirates at the Prudential Center in the third annual Invesco QQQ Legacy Classic, which also featured Grambling State University defeating Jackson State University 70-62, the Bison fell 63-61 to Hampton, which left New Jersey 5-18 and 0-10 in the Big South.
Sophomore forward Dom Campbell had 18 points and 10 rebounds for Howard and junior guard Bryce Harris from Brentwood, Long Island had a strong 16-point, 14-rebound performance.
Head coach Kenny Blakeney, who’s been leading the Bison since 2019, guided his squad to a 75-71 bounce back road victory against Delaware State on Monday. They will go into this Saturday’s home game versus North Carolina Central. The Eagles 13-9 Eagles are atop the MEAC at 5-2.
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