Young Howard done in by Wildcats’ experience and accuracy
Before the game Monday night at Howard, the Bison were charged a technical foul because the lights on the backboard weren’t working. Just as well. Bethune-Cookman might have shot them out anyway.
Hitting 54.8 percent from the floor, up-tempo and efficient Bethune led all the way, holding off a late Howard charge in a 73-67 victory before 1,005 at Burr Gymnasium.
Howard (7-19, 4-9) was gunning for its third straight victory and trying to duplicate the formula of its previous two when it limited MEAC foes Morgan State and Florida A&M to 33.6 percent shooting from the floor and 16.7 percent from the arc.
But the Bison defense was no match for the balanced, drive-and-dish offense of Bethune (12-14, 8-3), which was led by junior point guard Kevin Dukes (19 points, five assists), senior guard Anthony Breeze (12 points), and junior forward Javoris Bryant (11 points). The trio hit a combined 15 of 23 shots (65.2 percent).
With a nine-man rotation that included three seniors and three juniors, Bethune used its experience edge against a Howard team that started five freshmen.
“They made the crucial plays when they needed to make them,” Howard coach Kevin Nickelberry said. “That’s why they’re 8-3 and that’s why we’re 4-9. Those small nuances [come] with experience. Next year or next week, when we’re in that same situation, we’ll do a better job.”
Bethune, which has won 13 of its last 15 conference road games, won the regular season last year in the MEAC and is challenging Norfolk State (18-8, 10-2) and Savannah State (16-10, 9-2) for first-place this year. The Wildcats present matchup problems with their small, quick lineup. None of the seven who played double-digit minutes on Monday is taller than 6-foot-6.
“This was confusing scout for us because every position they had a guy 6-3. 6-4. We’re 6-10, 6-9,” Nickelberry said. “We’re not talking about small guys that can’t play. They’re small guys that can play, upper-class guys who understand space, dimension. They put us in situations that we weren’t used to.”
The Wildcats jumped in front early, scoring the game’s first seven points. A trio of three-pointers by the 5-9 Dukes helped Bethune push its lead to 13 points late in the first half.
In the second half the Wildcats led by as many as 15 before senior guard Glenn Andrews (15 points) and freshman guard Simuel Frazier (14 points, four assists) sparked a rally. Frazier had a layup and a three-pointer to fuel a 10-0 run that trimmed a 13-point lead to three with 2 minutes, 22 seconds left.
Later, Andrews hit a pair of long three-pointers, but Howard could get no closer than three points. Over the last 75 seconds, Bethune made its last 10 free throws, including the final six by 5-9 freshman Ricky Johnson.
“We started off slow tonight,” Andrews said. “We’re a real scrappy group. We’re never gonna give up. We’re gonna always play hard not matter the score or how much time is left.”
