The Howard University Bison men’s basketball team carried its losing slump into the New Year, dropping its first two games played in 2017, including a 66-48 loss to Columbia University on Jan. 7 in New York, N.Y.
Howard (3-13) also suffered a 78-68 loss to Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) foe Florida A&M on Jan. 4. The Bisons’ losing streak now stands at five games.
The biggest issue with Howard has been its inability to score points consistently. The Bison have picked up a habit of falling into huge scoring droughts, particularly early in games, allowing opponents to build big leads. This was the case against Columbia, as Howard missed 24 of 32 first-half shot attempts, allowing Columbia to take a 33-22 edge into halftime.
Howard hopes to get a scoring surge from its star senior guard, James Daniel III, who missed most of this season due to injury. Daniel led the nation last season with nearly 30 points scored per game. He returned from injury on Jan. 4 to score 24 points against FAMU, but struggled shooting against Columbia, making just three of 11 shot attempts for 10 points. If Daniel can regain his offensive prowess, Howard may be able to turn its season around.
Next: Howard will face University of Maryland-Eastern Shore on Jan. 14, followed by games against Coppin State on Jan. 16 and N.C. A&T on Jan. 21.
