Raleigh, NC—March 7---Louis Ford scored a team-high 14 points to lead four players in double figures as Howard University held off a late rush and defeated North Carolina A&T, 62-52 in the opening round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament at the RBC Center. The Number 9 seeded Bison (7-21) advance to the quarterfinal round where they will play Number 1 seed, Delaware State at 8 p.m. on Wednesday.
Howard, which comes into the tournament as one of the hottest teams, having won four of their last five down the stretch, jumped all over the Aggies (6-23), shooting 60 percent (14 of 23) from the floor while holding NC A&T to five field goals in the first half.
The Bison continued to run up the score in the second half as the lead mushroomed to 48-17 at the 15:54 mark.
Then the Aggies mounted a furious comeback, reeling off a 29-8 run that cut the deficit to 56-46. The rally was led by Jason Wills, who scored 15 of his game-high 21 and Michael Hayes, who tallied 9 of his 13.
Howard, the top free throw shooting team in the conference (74 percent), sank six of its last eight to advance past the first round for the first time since 2002.
“We achieved the big lead because we came out with great intensity in the first half,” said Howard first-year head coach Gil Jackson. “We played good defense and rebounded the ball well. That intensity was not there in the second half.”
Added NC A&T head coach Jerry Eaves, “Howard played well; they shot the ball especially well from three-point range. But our guys did not quit and I am proud of them for that.”
Ford was the catalyst for the Howard attack, as he was a perfect four-of-four from the field while also adding 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals.
“When they started coming back, I was thinking ‘protect the ball and get it into the frontcourt and control the offense.’ We didn’t do a very good job in the second half and it almost cost us. Fortunately, the clock was our ally.”
The Bison got contributions from freshman Eugene Myatt and 10 each from junior guards Will Gant and Darek Mitchell.
North Carolina A&T got a double-double (21 points, 10 rebounds) from Wills.
Howard dropped both games to Delaware State during the regular season.
GAME NOTES: The Bison dropped 14 straight before their current streak…Howard, which leads the MEAC in three pointers made with 6, shot 7 of 13 for 54 percent…the Bison were credited with 15 assists on 21 field goals…they committed 24 turnovers…NC A&T won the points-in-the-paint battle, 30-14…the 31-point lead by Howard was its largest of the season…the Bison have exceeded their win total of by two as they finished 5-23 last season and lost in the first round to Florida A&M.