Howard Makes History with First NCAA Tournament Win, Edges UMBC 86–83

DAYTON, Ohio — Howard University made program history Tuesday night, capturing its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory with a thrilling 86–83 win over University of Maryland, Baltimore County in the First Four.

Bryce Harris delivered a standout performance with 19 points and 14 rebounds, sealing the win with a clutch turnaround jumper with just 13 seconds remaining. His late-game heroics helped the Bison hold off a determined comeback by UMBC.

Ose Okojie led Howard with a career-high 23 points, powering the Bison (24–10) to a long-awaited breakthrough after entering March Madness winless in four previous appearances.

“We’ve accomplished a lot, but getting that first NCAA Tournament win means everything,” said head coach Kenneth Blakeney.

UMBC (24–9) made things interesting down the stretch. A three-pointer from DJ Armstrong Jr. cut the deficit to two with under a minute left. After Harris extended the lead, Jah’Likah King answered with a layup to keep it a one-possession game. But Howard held firm—Isaiah Brown split a pair of free throws, and Armstrong’s last-second three-point attempt missed, securing the historic win.

The Bison controlled much of the game, leading for nearly the entire contest and building a 13-point advantage in the first half. Okojie set the tone early with 16 first-half points, helping Howard take a 49–41 lead into halftime.

UMBC, known for its historic upset over Virginia in the 2018 NCAA Tournament, was looking to recreate March magic but fell just short despite strong performances from King (19 points), Armstrong (17), and Caden Diggs (15).

Cedric Taylor III added 16 points for Howard, excelling at the free-throw line before fouling out late in the game.

The Bison now advance as a No. 16 seed in the Midwest Region and will face powerhouse University of Michigan in the next round in Buffalo, New York.

With history already made, Howard now turns its attention to its next challenge on college basketball’s biggest stage.