Natalie Day recorded her first double-double with a game-high 19 points and Tamaya Daniels added 18 points to lead Howard to a 64-46 win over South Carolina State University in a MEAC women’s game at Burr Gymnasium.

 

It was the third straight win for the Lady Bison (3-13 overall, 2-2 in the MEAC) while the Lady Bulldogs (3-12 overall, 0-4) remain winless in conference play.

 

Day got Howard off to a fast start, scoring 11 points while Daniels added six as the Lady Bison bolted out to a 28-16 lead at the half.  Equally important in the quick start was the Howard defense which has played well of late.

 

The team is now beginning to buy into the defensive philosophy and we are starting to play together,” noted Howard first year coach Niki Reid Geckeler.         

 

Added South Carolina State Coach Doug Robertson, “You have to put the ball in the basket and we did not.  Howard came out ready to play and that had something to do with the way we played.”

 

The Lady Bison started the second half with a 10-4 run and were never serious challenged after that.

 

A 6-0 freshman forward from Germantown, MD, Day hit on 8 of 16 from the field and grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.  She just missed a double-double (9 points, 9 rebounds) in Saturday’s win over Winston-Salem State.

 

 “She’s beginning to understand the college game,” said Coach Geckeler.  “She’s catching on to the speed of the game.  You can see her growth each game.”

 

Daniels, a 6-2 senior forward from Syracuse, NY, did most of her damage down low, connecting on 7 of her 12 shots from the floor while grabbing nine rebounds.

 

Zykia Brown, the team leading scorer, scored only eight points, but she contributed in other areas, dealing out a career-high six assists and directing traffic for her teammates.

 

 “As a sophomore, she has stepped up big time,” said Coach Geckeler.  “She’s shown that she can contribute in many ways.  A trait of a good player is how she makes her teammates better.”

 

South Carolina State was led Sophilia Hipps with 12 points and Jenell Moore, who added eight points and 11 rebounds.  Team leading scorer Marie Reid managed a season-low seven points.

 

NEXT UP:  SC State hosts Norfolk State next Saturday at 2 p.m. while the Lady Bison travel to Baltimore, MD to take on the Lady Bears of Morgan State at 2 p.m.