Navy Second Half Run Proves To Be Too Much for
Howard
Washington, DC—December 5—Navy used a 16-0 run at the start of the second half to defeat Howard, 82-73 in the BB&T Classic at the MCI Center.
The Bison (0-4) appeared on their way to the first win of the season after a late surge in the first half that gave them a 38-29 lead at the half.
But in what is becoming an all-too-familiar theme, Howard suddenly lost momentum and allowed the Midshipmen (1-4) to seize their first win. Much of the damage was done by Cliff Colbert and Kaleo Kina, who combined for 19 second half points. Colbert was effective in breaking down the Howard defense through penetration dribble while Kina scored all of his points via the three-point shot.
“We came out sluggish in the second half,” said Howard first-year coach Gil Jackson. “Then when they (Navy) made their run, we panicked. We have to learn how to play two halves. Maybe there will be more focus in practice this week after this loss.”
Howard got control of the game early behind the play of senior point guard Louis Ford, who tallied 11 of his 16 points in the first 20 minutes. And when he was not getting in the lane for spectacular shots that wooed the crowd, he was setting up teammates with some deft passes and getting steals that led to transition baskets.
But it was a different story in the second half as the Bison went cold, shooting only 31 percent (9 of 29), including 2 of 9 from beyond the stripe. The only player who had any measured success offensively was junior forward Darryl Hudson, who tallied 13 of his game-high 19 points after intermission.
“I think we were a little too tentative at times in the second half,” said Hudson, who recorded a career-high 18 free throw attempts. “Whatever this rut we’re in, we have to keep working hard to get out of it.”
The Bison defense forced 30 Navy turnovers, but was out-rebounded, 43-31.
NEXT UP: Howard will attempt to snap a 21-game losing streak when it hosts Maryland Eastern Shore on Saturday, December 10 at 6 p.m. in Burr Gymnasium.