MEAC: Men’s Basketball Recap, Jan. 15

WASHINGTON. – Warren Mouganda nailed a three-pointer in the right corner with 2.2 seconds to give Bowie State a thrilling 76-73 win over the Howard University men’s basketball team in a nonconference game at Burr Gymnasium.
The loss snapped HU’s three-game win streak (8-10, 3-0 MEAC) while the Bulldogs (9-7, 1-4 CIAA) played arguably the best game of the season.
Bowie State, which came into struggling on offense of late, controlled the game from the tip with Mouganda and Victor Naboya combining to do damage on the offensive end of the floor.
Despite a slim 44-42 Howard halftime lead, the Bulldogs refused to back down from the Bison, who came into the game averaging almost 97 points while shooting over 60-percent from the field and three-point range in the past three games.
Feeling the need to establish themselves, the Bulldogs came out on fire in the second half and ran off a 55-44 lead a little over four minutes into the second stanza. The Bison would claw its way back to get within one or two possessions, but each time, the Bulldogs would answer the Bison’s attempts by getting baskets, many coming with the shot clock winding down.
Justin Morris got into the act, along with Mouganda as they took turns making clutch shots.
Howard, who came into the game as one of the hottest shooting teams in the country, hit some long bombs early from guards Marcus Dockery (Washington) and Cameron Shockley-Okeke (Norwalk, Conn.), but they cooled off and Bowie State took advantage to control the tempo.
Shockley-Okeke came up with a career-high 26 points, but Dockery, who came into the game shooting at a high clip from his specialty area, could not find the range in the second half.
Then, rookie standout Blake Harper (Washington) came alive following an unusual first half when he scored only four points. The 6-foot-8 freshman, who averages almost 19 points a game, caught fire in the second half and fueled a comeback by scoring 10 of his team’s 12 points during a run to tie the game, 73-73, with 55 seconds remaining.
Howard missed out on an opportunity to take the lead on its possession with a missed shot from close range with 9.7 ticks. Following a timeout, the Bulldogs set up a play and Mouganda buried what would prove to be the game-winner.
The key to the game came down to two factors. Howard turned the ball over 16 times, which led to 18 Bowie State points. The Bulldogs, who committed a season-low seven turnovers, outscored the Howard bench, 27-13, and held a 32-22 advantage in the paint.
In addition to Shockley-Okeke’s game-high 26 points, Harper finished with 19 points and eight rebounds, and Dockery tallied 10 of his 12 points in the first half.
Mouganda finished with 23 points for Bowie State. Morris and Naboya each scored 12 points and Elijah Davis tallied seven points and seven assists in the win.
NEXT UP: Howard closes out its home stand Monday (Jan. 20) when it hosts Morehouse College in the annual MLK Day Classic at 4 p.m., inside The Burr.
For more information, visit the Bison Athletics website at www.HUBison.com.