Howard defeats Morehouse 78-69 in MLK Classic

_{9mage via David Sierra}

Courtesy of Ed Hill, Jr., retired Howard University Sports Information Director

69

Morehouse 10-7,10-3 SIAC

78

Winner Howard 12-8,2-2 MEAC

Senior guard Ose Okojie (Brampton, Canada) scored a career-high 21 points and junior guard Cedric Taylor III (Atlanta) and sophomore forward Travelle Bryson (Anderson, S.C.) had 16 points and 12 points, respectively, but it was some clutch free throw shooting and a strong defensive stand down the stretch that propelled the Howard University men’s basketball team to a 78-69 victory over Morehouse College in the annual MLK Day Classic at Burr Gymnasium.

The win was the third-in-a-row for the Bison while the Maroon Tigers had their six-game win streak snapped.
 
It was the first capacity crowd at Burr Gymnasium this season and they were entertained by some exciting and competitive basketball.
 
Morehouse (10-7), which had upset Howard for the first time in the series last year, was determined to duplicate the feat.
 
With Jared White providing 12 points off the bench, the Maroon Tigers took the early lead by connecting on a sizzling 6-of-12 from beyond the arc. But Howard countered with Okojie, who led all scorers with 13 points.
 
The Bison managed a 37-34 halftime advantage, despite shooting 15-of-37 from the floor. Howard would have had a more comfortable lead, but missed several shots at point blank.
 
The Bison came out to start the second half and threatened to put the game away with a 47-38 lead–the biggest of the game–on a 10-4 run in the first seven minutes of the second stanza.
 
Then, the pesky Maroon Tigers, who are members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC), scrapped and put together a rally of their own, led by JerMonte Hill and Josiah Lawson, who combined for all the points between them during the run.
 
From there, it became a slugfest and test of wills with each team answering with key baskets or timely defensive plays. Howard held a huge advantage on the boards (41-28) but it was negated by poor free throw shooting (17-of-26 for 65-percent).
 
The Bison were able to keep it a two-possession game through most of the second half, but Morehouse’s Brandon Peters scored to make the score a one-possession contest, 71-68, with 1:01 remaining.
 
Then, the Bison clamped down on defense and parlayed it with some deft free throw shooting by guards Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Cam Gillus(Falls Church, Va.). Harris, who came into the game averaging almost 18.0 points, missed 6-of-7 shots from the field, but he went 5-of-6 from the charity stripe down the stretch and Gillus converted the other two as Howard held the upset-minded guests to a free throw over the last 70 seconds.
 
Okojie, who is having his best season in a Bison uniform, connected on 9-of-13 from the field and grabbed four rebounds.
 
Taylor, who played at Morehouse last year before transferring to Howard, flirted with a triple-double, registering 16 points, 13 rebounds and a career-high seven assists.
 
Bryson just missed a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds.
 
Gillus almost just missed a double-double with nine points and eight assists.
 
Despite the problems at the free throw line and missed chippies, the Bison did damage inside the paint where they held a 46-24 edge, along with second chance points, 21-9.
 
Other notable statistics included a season-best 24 assists on 29 made baskets and a season-low six turnovers.
 
Morehouse was led Hill with 20 points. White netted 14 points off the bench, followed Peters with 12points. Lawson added 11 points in a reserve role.
 
NEXT UP: Howard hosts Morgan State Saturday (Jan. 24) at 6 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium.

Team Statistics