Howard delivered a performance for the history books Tuesday night.
The Bison notched its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory in an 86-83 win over UMBC in the First Four.
Howard had to sweat it out late in the second half after building a double-digit lead, but was able to hang on thanks to a Bryce Harris clutch jumper with 13 seconds left in regulation to keep UMBC at bay.
He finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Ose Okojie poured in a career-high 23 points to lead Howard, which entered the game 0–4 all-time in the NCAA Tournament. Cedric Taylor III added 16 points before fouling out in the closing minute, going 9 of 10 from the free-throw line.
The victory sends the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champions (24–10) to Buffalo, New York, where they’ll face top-seeded Michigan in the Midwest Region on Thursday.
Howard jumped on UMBC early
The Bison led for nearly the entire game, jumping ahead by 13 in the first half behind a scorching 16-point effort from Okojie before halftime. Harris, the MEAC Player of the Year, extended Howard’s lead to 61–48 early in the second half with his second made three-pointer of the night.
UMBC (24–9) refused to fade quietly. DJ Armstrong Jr. drained a three with 43 seconds left to trim the deficit to 83–81, and after Harris’ late jumper as the shot clock expired, Jah’Likah King’s layup pulled the Retrievers within two. Isaiah Brown split a pair of free throws before Armstrong’s desperation three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out, setting off Howard’s celebration.
🏀 | First frames of the First Four!#HUBison #HUBasketball pic.twitter.com/1uA6btJYDO
— Howard Athletics (@HUBisonSports) March 18, 2026
Blakeney makes history, too
King led UMBC with 19 points, followed by Armstrong with 17 and Caden Diggs with 15.
Tuesday’s win adds another milestone for head coach Kenneth Blakeney, who has guided the Bison to three NCAA Tournament berths and a MEAC title this season.
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“I’m so proud of these guys,” he said after the game. “It’s not about me. It’s about Howard and their student experience. These guys are going to remember this for the rest of their lives.”
