Women's Basketball | 3/21/2026 2:04:00 PM

COLUMBUS, Ohio--  The Howard Lady Bison, representing the MEAC as a No. 14 seed in the NCAA Tournament, faced No. 3 Ohio State on Saturday morning at the Schottenstein Center. 

Howard started strong, keeping the game competitive early with five lead changes and five ties in a back-and-forth first quarter. Ohio State held a narrow 20–15 lead at the end of the period. However, the Bison struggled offensively in the second quarter and went into halftime trailing 43–19. 

Howard showed resilience in the second half, finding an offensive rhythm and trimming the deficit early. Zoe Stewart sparked the effort with an early 16-foot jump shot, followed by a quick layup from Zennia Thomas. Despite the push, the early gap proved too much to overcome, and Howard fell to Ohio State, 75–54, in the first round. 

MEAC Player of the Year Zennia Thomas led Howard with 15 points and six rebounds. Rookie of the Year Ariella Henigan added 14 points, while Zoe Stewart contributed 12 points. 

Ohio State placed four players in double figures, led by Jaloni Cambridge’s 21 points. Ava Watson, Chance Gray, and Kennedy Cambridge each added 11 points to secure the victory. 

Under head coach Ty Grace, Howard concluded its season with a 26–8 record, capturing the MEAC championship and earning its first NCAA Tournament automatic bid since 2022.