Junior forward Jason Johnson tossed in 13 points and grabbed seven rebounds before leaving the game with what was later diagnosed as a broken nose with just under six minutes left to help South Carolina State defeat Howard 60-58 Monday at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

Freshman Carrio Bennett added 11 points, including two 3-pointers during a decisive run that put the Bulldogs in front late in the contest.

The Bulldogs, despite missing 17 free throws, bounced back from Saturday’s 82-76 loss to Hampton on Saturday with the victory, which lifted SC State to 6-12 and 2-2 in the MEAC.

Leading the way for Howard were freshman guard Adam Walker, with a career high 16 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, and Randy Hampton who added 12 points in the loss. The Bison fell to 4-14 and 1-3 in the MEAC.

Howard was ahead 27-21 at the half and padded the lead to nine points, 38-29, with 14:24 to play on Walker’s free throw. The Bulldogs chipped away at the deficit and gained their first lead since early in the contest when Bennett nailed the first of his two baskets from behind the arc that put the host out from 45-44 with 9:18 on the clock.

Bennett made one of two free throws after a Howard miss to make the lead two, 46-44, but a lay-up by the Bison’ Jeron Smith with 7:39 left deadlocked the contest at 46-all.

SC State then scored the next five points, all by Bennett on two free throws and his second 3-pointer of the contest ? for a 51-46 advantage at the 7:08 mark.

Howard battled back to within one twice, the last time at 57-56 on two free throws by Walker with 2:01 left, before Julius Carter, filling in for the injured Johnson, nailed a pair from the charity stripe for a three-point SC State cushion, 59-56, and the host hung on for the victory.