For Bryce Harris and Ose Okojie, Monday night’s NCAA Tournament victory wasn’t just another win — it was a historic and full-circle moment.
Following Howard’s first-ever NCAA Tournament game win, Harris reflected on what the achievement meant and the circumstances that made it even more special.
Last season, Harris was lost for the season after breaking his foot in a regular-season game at UMBC. Okojie also suffered a concussion that night in the 95-77 loss to the Retrievers. The Bison ended up 12-20 on the year — resembling nothing of a future NCAA Tournament team.
“For me, it’s a full-circle moment,” Harris said in the postgame press conference. “Last year, both me and Ose were out for the season — I broke my foot, and he had a concussion. And both of those injuries happened against UMBC… at UMBC.”
This time, the outcome was much different. Facing the same opponent in their first NCAA Tournament appearance together, the two starters helped fuel a gritty performance that placed their school on the national stage.
WHAT A SHOT!
HOWARD LEADS BY FOUR 🔥#MarchMadness @HUMensBB pic.twitter.com/QWbp5YMK8N
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) March 18, 2026
‘We’ll remember forever’
Harris finished with 19 points and 14 rebounds, including a big-time jumper with 13 seconds left in regulation to put some distance between Howard and UMBC after a late Retrievers charge.
Okojie dazzled with 23 points — a season-high — in the most important game of his college career.
“They fought their butt off,” Harris said of UMBC. “They’re a talented team. But to be out there healthy, competing, and winning a tournament game after what we went through — that’s something we’ll remember forever.”
Okojie echoed his teammate’s sentiment when asked what the win meant from a historical perspective. “To make history with this group, especially after all we’ve been through, it’s unbelievable,” he said.
For Harris and Okojie, it wasn’t just redemption — it was validation. One year removed from sitting on the sideline, they stood in front of cameras sharing in the joy of accomplishing something their program had never done before.
That’s March magic.
