Image via Donald LeBrauf
Courtesy of Courtesy of Ed Hill, Jr., retired Howard University Sports Information Director
WASHINGTON (January 7, 2026) – Howard University women’s basketball team will be looking to continue its winning ways in MEAC (Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) play when it hosts the Hornets of Delaware State Thursday (Jan. 8) inside Burr Gymnasium. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m., live on ESPN+.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Bison Nation can follow all the action via live statsand/or ESPN+. Tickets are still available here.
LAST TIMEOUT
HOWARD
Saturday (Jan. 3), senior forward Zennia Thomas(Cleveland) recorded a double-double and key plays down the stretch gave HU a hard-fought 68-64 road win over South Carolina State in the MEAC opener at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Gymnasium.
DELAWARE STATE
The Hornets (3-13, 0-1 MEAC) are coming off a 60-59 home loss to Coppin State Saturday (Jan. 3) at home. Amya Scott came off the bench to score a team-high 16 points in the loss.
PROBABLE STARTERS/KEY RESERVES
DELAWARE STATE PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
5 Nykesha Sanders Graduate Guard 2.3 ppg & 29 assists
3 Jermesha Frierson Junior Guard 7.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg & 23 steals
7 Nevaeh Reaves Graduate Guard 4.9 ppg & 86-percent FT%
10 Ericka Huggins Sophomore Forward 4.3 ppg, 5.5 rpg & 11 blocks
55 Zyan Reynolds Senior Forward 1.5 ppg & 2.3 rpg
DELAWARE STATE KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
1 Amya Scott Freshman Guard 9.3 ppg
11 Aniyah Jones Senior Guard 5.8 ppg
40 Liliana Harrison Freshman Forward 5.6 ppg & 3.4 rpg
HOWARD PROBABLE STARTERS
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
24 Zennia Thomas Senior Forward 15.1 ppg, 7.6 rpg & 20 blocks
25 Nile Miller Senior Forward 7.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg & 44 steals
11 Sa’lah Hemingway Junior Forward 2.6 ppg & 2.7 rpg
23 Zoe Stewart R-Junior Guard 12.6 ppg & 44-percent FG%
4 Ariella Henigan Freshman Guard 7.8 ppg, 2.6 rpg & 34 assists
HOWARD KEY RESERVES
No. Name Class Position 2025-26 Stats
15 April Edwards R-Sophomore Guard 4.1 ppg & 89-percent FT%
21 Rayne Durant Junior Forward 2.9 ppg & 2.4 rpg
5 Destiny Bynum-Johnson Junior Guard 5.6 ppg & 4.0 rpg
THE COACHES
Delaware State is led by Jazmone Turner (Muskingum, ’16), who is her second season. Howard is coached by Ty Grace (New Haven, ’99), who is in her 11th season and the second winningest coach in school history.
SERIES RECORD
Howard (11-6, 1-0 MEAC) has won 19-in-a-row in the series, dating back to 2005. In the most recent contest, the Bison prevailed, 85-49, in the MEAC Tournament (March 12, 2025). Howard leads the series, 24-5, since 2005. The Hornets last won, 87-86, in Dover (January 11, 2016).
GAME NOTES
DELAWARE STATE
In the MEAC, the Hornets are second in three-point shooting defense (28-percent) behind Howard and third in defense, allowing only 66 points per game…Individually, Ericka Huggins is fifth in blocked shots and seventh in rebounding…Scott is seventh field goal shooting (40-percent)…Nevaeh Reaves is sixth in three-point shooting (32-percent)… Monday (Jan. 5), Scott was named MEAC Rookie of the Week.
HOWARD
Howard is holding opponents to 26-percent shooting from three and allowing only 63 points per game…Nationally, the Bison are ranked 41st in three-point shooting defense…Some of Howard’s success in close victories has been its free throw shooting, converting on 71-percent from the charity stripe…The vaunted Howard defense continues to be its staple, recording almost 20 points off opponents’ turnovers while also averaging 10.1 steals and almost 4.0 blocks…senior forward Nile Miller (Woodbury, N.J.) is tied for 24th in total steals…Thomas, the early leading candidate for MEAC Player of the Year, is eighth in free throw attempts and tied for 14th in free throws made…Howard is the preseason pick to win the MEAC…Miller and Thomas are preseason First Team All-MEAC selections…Thomas has reached double figures in all but three games this season and has recorded six double doubles…In the MEAC, Howard leads the conference in scoring offense, scoring defense, assists/turnover ratio, three-point shooting defense (26-percent) and free throw shooting (71-percent)…Individually, Thomas still leads the MEAC in scoring (14.8 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg)…Redshirt junior guard Zoe Stewart (Terre Haute, Ind.) ranks fourth in scoring and field goal percentage (44-percent) and fifth in three-point percentage (33-percent) and eighth in three pointers made per game…Miller is sixth in rebounding, second in field goal percentage (46-percent) and eighth in blocks…Freshman guard Ariella Henigan (Chicago) ranks seventh in assists…The Bison were ranked 21st in this week’s CollegeInsider.com Women’s Mid-Major poll…Monday (Jan. 5), Miller was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week.
NEXT UP:
Delaware State hosts Norfolk State Saturday (Jan. 10) at 2 p.m., while Howard travels to Princess Anne, Md., to take on the Hawks of Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. Saturday (Jan. 10).
