DAYTON, Ohio — Ose Okojie scored 16 of his team-leading 21 factors within the first half and Bryce Harris added 19 factors and 14 rebounds as Howard held off a livid rally by UMBC 86-83 on Tuesday in an NCAA Match First 4 contest in Dayton, Ohio.
Because the shot clock was expiring, Harris hit a clutch turnaround jumper with 12.7 seconds left to present Howard (24-10) a four-point lead. The Bison held on to advance because the No. 16 seed and oppose No. 1 seed Michigan in a Midwest Area first-round sport Thursday in Buffalo.
The Bison, who certified for the 68-team discipline by capturing the MEAC event title, prolonged their season-best win streak to 9 video games.
Jah’Likai King had 19 and DJ Armstrong Jr. added 17 for the Retrievers (24-9), who had their program-record 12-game win streak snapped. The Retrievers, event champions of America East, have been making their first NCAA Match look since their historic 2018 upset of No. 1 seed Virginia.
Caden Diggs added 15 factors and eight rebounds off the bench for UMBC. Armstrong’s 30-foot 3-point try was off the mark to the precise as time expired.
Howard led by double figures for many of the second half, however Diggs transformed two free throws with 53.8 seconds left to attract UMBC inside 83-78. After the Bison’s Cam Gillus got here up quick on the entrance finish of a 1-and-1 with 52.9 seconds left, Armstrong drained an extended 3-pointer with 43.4 seconds left to cap a 9-0 run, and UMBC was inside 83-81.
After UMBC opened with the sport’s first 4 factors, Howard scored the subsequent 9 factors to take an early lead. The Bison used an 8-0 surge to take a 19-11 benefit on a layup by Okojie.
Trailing 21-13, the Retrievers went on a 9-3 spurt to attract inside 24-22 on a King layup. UMBC reduce the hole to 31-30 earlier than Howard answered with a 12-0 run that gave them their greatest first-half lead after a three-point play from Alex Cotton.
Cougar Downing’s layup with two seconds left within the half despatched UMBC into halftime down 49-41.
–Mike Petraglia, Area Degree Media
