Harper, Bench Lift Bison Over Blue Tigers in OT

Freshman guard Blake Harper knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the first 30 seconds of overtime to lead Howard University to a 13-9 scoring advantage and an 88-84 win over Tennessee State in the opener of the HBCU Challenge Wednesday night.

“They are really good, and Coach Penny (Brian “Penny” Collins) is a helluva coach,” said Howard University head coach Kenneth Blakeney of the Blue Tigers. “We are very fortunate to get out of this game today. We have a great organization with great people and if you have good people in your organization, you have a chance to have good things happen.

Blakeney’s four-guard starting lineup set the twine on fire knocking down 65% of their shots from the floor and 50% from beyond the arc. Harper, the freshman from nearby Gonzaga High School, led the Bison in scoring with a cool 18 points. Starters Bryce Harris, Marcus Dockery, and Anwar Gill also chipped in double figures to help pace the squad.

Dom Campbell, a 2023 transfer from Notre Dame, dropped in 15 points off the bench to help the Bison outscore the Blue Tigers reserves 23-11.

Tennessee State fell behind by eight points early but battled back with defense and solid shooting. The Blue Tigers knocked down 16 of their 24 shots from the field and went 2 of 4 from behind the line. Brandon Weston’s triple cut the Bison’s lead to 35-33.

A three from Justus Jackson gave TSU its first lead 5 minutes into the second half. For a seven-minute stretch, Jackson was a one-man wrecking crew. The junior transfer from UT Martin scored 12 consecutive points for the Blue Tigers.

It was 12 minutes before a three from Harris gave the Bison the lead back. They held a two-point lead until a turnover forced Harris to foul Weston. The redshirt junior guard who was 6 of 9 from the charity stripe in regulation, calmly knocked down both free throws to send the game into overtime.

Howard’s Bryce Harris was named MVP of the game.

Game Analysis

Despite the size advantage Josh Ogundele (7’-0, 275 lb), Louis Doust (6’-7), Ahmir Langlais (6’-9), the Blue Tigers were unable to get easy baskets down low over the smaller Bison lineup. Howard outscored Tennessee State 40-36 in the paint and 7-0 out on the break.

While neither team shot particularly well from the free throw line (TSU: 11-26, 42.3% | HU: 12-20, 60%), it is not going to sit well with the TSU coaching staff after a four-point loss. The homework for the Blue Tigers is free throws, free throws, free throws.