Howard Men’s Basketball Rallies to Earn First MEAC Victory

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Howard University sophomore forward Dom Campbell tallied 18 points in the road win at South Carolina State (Photo Credit – Steve Worthy).

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (January 8, 2024) – Sophomore forward Dom Campbell (Scarborough, Maine) came off the bench to score 18 points to lead four scorers in double figures as the Howard University men’s basketball team rallied from a second-half deficit to pull out an 82-78 win over South Carolina State (SCSU) in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Gym.

The undermanned Bison (6-11, 1-1 MEAC) trailed, 32-23, early in the second half before they rallied and closed out the game with 7-2 run over the last 50 seconds to end their two-game losing skid.

After shooting 31-percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, including 0-for-8 from three, the Bison found their mojo in the second stanza, connecting on a sizzling 81-percent (17-of-21), 8-of-11 from deep and 17-of-22 from the charity stripe.

Campbell did most of the damage for Howard, which is playing with a short bench due to injuries. Howard was missing key starters sophomore forward Shy Odom (Roxbury, Mass.), the MEAC Preseason Player of the Year, and starting guard Isiah Warfield (Monaca, Pa.), who combine for 17 points and 12 rebounds between them.

It was a team effort from graduate forward Seth Towns (Columbus, Ohio) and junior guards Bryce Harris (Brentwood, N.Y.) and Marcus Dockery (Washington, D.C.). Towns continues to make a strong bid for MEAC Player of the Year consideration. His second half performance played a huge part as the team’s leading scorer finished with 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists, including 9-of-10 from the charity stripe. Harris contributed 17 points and seven rebounds while Dockery rebounded from a poor shooting effort at North Carolina Central Saturday (Jan. 6) with 15 points on 6-of-12 from the field.

For the game, the Bison connected on 56-percent from the floor, including 42-percent from three, while holding a 31-21 rebounding edge.

The Bulldogs (4-14, 0-2 MEAC), who have now lost three straight, were led by Mitchell Taylor (18 points), Atiba Taylor (13 points) and Wilson Dubinsky (10 points).

NEXT UP: Howard returns home to take on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore Saturday (Jan. 13) at 4 p.m., inside Burr Gymnasium.

Source: Written by Ed Hill, Jr., retired Howard Sports Information Director