WASHINGTON (December 14, 2017) – Coach Kevin Nickelberry and the Howard University Men's Basketball team held off crosstown foe Washington Adventist (WAU), 76-65, inside Burr Gymnasium. With the win, HU snapped its three-game skid.
 
Overall, Howard (2-10) shot 48-percent (25-of-52) from the floor and eclipsed an 83-percent (20-of-24) mark at the charity stripe.
 
"We're still searching for two halves, but luckily this game, it was the second half that we stepped up," said Nickelberry. "In the first half, we had some uncharacteristic turnovers that contributed to our struggles and gave them some confidence.
 
Freshman RJ Cole and sophomore Charles Williams guided the Bison attack. Cole, reigning Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Rookie of the Week, led all scorers with a career-high 30 points, including a perfect 10-of-10 at the foul line. Williams went 10-of-19 from the field and finished with 24 points in the victory.
 
Moments into the second half, Cole tied the contest with a trey ball, 41-41, and HU never looked back.
 
Howard ballooned the lead to double-digits after going on a 20-5 run, 61-46, capped off by a jumper from Williams.
 
WAU fought back and trimmed the deficit as low as four after a layup from Mike Bryant, 68-64, with less than two minutes remaining.
 
Cole stepped up and closed the game knocking down all six freebies in the final 20 seconds to seal the deal for HU.
 
Newcomer Zion Cousins filled the stat sheet, registering a game-high 10 boards, seven points, five blocks, two steals, and two dimes.
 
"Defensively, I liked our focus in the second half," Nickelberry stated. "Cole stepped up and stopped their leading scorer and [Zion] Cousins was everywhere. Offensively, we got the ball to the right spots to [Charles] Williams and we put pressure on them with the dribble and got to the foul line."
 
The first half witnessed a seesaw battle, which included 10 lead changes and seven ties.
 
In the waning moments before halftime, Charles Vines connected on a long ball and gave the Shock a two-point advantage at intermission.
 
"I told our guys that Washington Adventist circled this game on their schedule before the year," Nickelberry continued. "I know they would be very motivated for a lot of reasons, especially since they have so many local guys. I coached there and [Keith] Coutreyer played there. At some point, it felt like we were on the road with all the fans they had at the game."
 
For WAU (3-7), Vines had team-best 21 points and seven assists. Elijah Maynard and Jawuan Wilson combined for 23 points in a losing effort.
 
Howard begins a five-game road trip Monday (Dec. 18) at Jacksonville State. Game-time is slated for 8 p.m.
 
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.