Dover, Del. (Jan. 23, 2013) --- Delaware State forced Howard into 27.3% shooting from the field in a 63-46 win over the Bison in Memorial Hall this evening.
The Hornets improved to 7-10 overall and 2-1 in the MEAC. The Bison dropped their fifth straight game to fall to 4-17 and 1-6.
Delaware State has won the last 15 meetings between the teams in Memorial Hall. Howard has not won at DSU since the 1994-95 season. The Hornets also improved to 5-0 at home this season.
Tahj Tate led four Delaware State players in double figures with a game-high 19 points. Tate was 8-for-11 from the field, including two spectacular dunks, and 3-of-3 at the free throw line.
Tyshawn Bell had 14 points, highlighted by four three-point field goals, while Marques Oliver added 10 for the Hornets. Oliver also had three blocks in the contest to up his school-record total to 191.
Sim Frazier was high scorer for Howard with 15 points, while teammate Mike Phillips led all players with 13 rebounds.
The Hornets got off to a fast start in the game. Bell hit three three-pointers in the early going to help give DSU a nine-point lead. His third three-pointer gave the Hornets a 14-5 lead with 14:13 left in the first half.
Howard responded with a 12-0 run to pull ahead. Alphonso Leary capped off the run with a dunk to give the Bison a 17-14 lead with 9:06 left in the half.
The score was 20-20 when Howard scored on back-to-back possessions to open up its biggest lead, 24-20.
Delaware State outscored the Bison 10-3 in the last 3:35 of the first half to lead at the break. Bell knocked down his fourth three-pointer of the game with two seconds left in the half to give the Hornets a 30-27 lead at intermission.
DSU started strong in the second half, scoring the first 10 points to take control. Oliver scored six points during the rally. He capped off the run with two free throws to give the Hornets a 40-27 lead with 15:50 left to play.
Delaware State opened up a 47-32 lead on a three-pointer by Casey Walker with 7:03 remaining.
Howard did not hit a second half field goal until Frazier knocked down a three-pointer to pull the Bison to within 47-35 with 6:06 left to play.
The Bison pulled to within 51-42 when Tate brought the crowd to its feet with a windmill dunk to give the Hornets an 11-point lead with 3:34 left.
Howard hit just four-of-30 shots from the field in the second half (13.3%). The Bison were 15-for-55 from the floor in the game.
Delaware State shot 41.5% from the floor (22-for-53) in the game. The Hornets were 6-for-22 from three-point territory and 13-for-13 at the free throw line, its best performance from the stripe this season.
The Hornets begin a two-game Florida swing on Saturday (Jan. 26) at Bethune-Cookman. Game time is 4:00 p.m. in Daytona Beach, Fla. DSU will continue the road trip on Monday (Jan. 28) at Florida A&M.
Delaware State returns home on Feb. 2 against North Carolina Central (4:00 p.m.).
