Delaware State Defense Stymies Howard
DOVER, DEL. - Delaware State parlayed a stingy defense and a slow-down offense to frustrate Howard, 54-45 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's game at Memorial Hall.
The Hornets (11-8 overall, 6-2 in the MEAC) set the tone for the game by utilizing some trapping defense and full-court pressure to disrupt the Bison's offense and neutralize its leading scorers, Howard (6-17 overall, 5-4 in the MEAC) shot a respectable 47 percent from the field in the first 20 minutes, but it trailed 27-20 because it attempted only 17 shots and turned the ball over 10 times.
On the offensive end, Delaware State maxed out the shot clock on every possession and forced Howard to play at its methodical tempo.
The Bison made several attempts to get close but each time, the Hornets would come up with a hustle play that would keep them at bay.
Calvin Thompson led the Bison with eight points, six under his team-leading average. Dadrian Collins, who had scored in double figures the past six games, finished with six as did Paul Kirkpatrick and Kyle Riley.
The Hornets got 12 points from Marques Oliver off the bench and 10 from Greg Smith.
NEXT UP: The Bison will look to snap their two-game losing streak when they travel to Winston-Salem, NC to take on the Rams of Winston-Salem State on Saturday at 4 pm while the Hornets travel to Greensboro, NC to take on the Aggies of North Carolina A&T on Saturday at 4 pm.
