Myatt Explodes for 22; Howard Snaps Losing Streak

Boxscore

Washington, DC-February 20-Freshman Eugene Myatt poured in a career-high 22 points and Darek Mitchell came out of a month-long slump to add 19 as Howard defeated Florida A&M University, 89-71 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's game at Burr Gymnasium. The win snapped a 14-game losing streak for the Bison (3-20 overall, 2-12 in the MEAC), whose last victory came on December 29 against Mercer.

Myatt, 6-4 forward from Philadelphia, PA, had a previous high of 12 versus the University of Georgia on January 2, but he came out and connected on seven of his first nine shots for 14 first half points as Howard led, 53-40. It was the highest first half point total for the Bison this season.

Mitchell, who had failed to reach double figures in scoring since January 9, added 11 on 3-of-5 of shooting from three-point range while Will Gant, who had also struggled of late, contributed 14 of his 16 at the half.

"We practiced with a lot more focus this week," said Howard first-year Coach Gil Jackson. "This was a good victory. I am happy foe the team and our fans. They really helped us tonight."

Myatt finished with an 11-for-18 shooting night while adding 6 rebounds and 4 steals in 25 minutes of play.

"Eugene Myatt is a very talented offensive player," explained Jackson. "He is a very coachable young man who loves the game. We have been waiting for this kind of game from him."

Added Myatt, "I was trying to stay aggressive the entire game. I just wanted to attack for 40 minutes. Once I got going, I fell into a groove."

The Rattlers (12-15 overall, 8-7 in the MEAC) had problems defending the three-point shot as the Bison canned 10 of 22 from beyond the arc and shot a season-best 53 percent from the field. They also turned the ball over 20 times.

FAMU was led by senior guard Tony Tate, who tallied 17 of his game-high 24 points in the first half and Brian Greene and Rome Sanders who scored 16 and 14, respectively.

GAME NOTES: The Bison shot a season-best 65 percent (22 of 34) from the field in the first halfThe 89 points is the most scored this seasonGant and Mitchell combined to shoot 9 of 17 from three-point rangeJason Trotter had another steady game with 7 points and 7 reboundsLouis Ford, who missed the B-CC game, contributed 9 points and 5 assistsTony Tate, a strong candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, was being evaluated by a scout from the Seattle Supersonicsthe Bison had 18 assists on 32 baskets.

NEXT UP: FAMU will host first-place Delaware State on Saturday, February 25 while Howard will entertain Coppin State University on Saturday at 4 p.m. in Burr Gymnasium.

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