Bryce Harris had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and he sank a turnaround jumper with 13 seconds remaining that sent Howard to its first NCAA Tournament victory in p
Howard head coach Kenneth Blakeney, center, and Howard players celebrate at the conclusion of the second half in a First Four college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament against UMBC, Tuesday, March 17, 2026, in Dayton, Ohio.
Bryce Harris had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and he sank a turnaround jumper with 13 seconds remaining that sent Howard to its first NCAA Tournament victory in program history, 86-83 over UMBC in the First Four on Tuesday night. Ose Okojie scored a career-high 23 points to lead the Bison , who entered with an 0-4 record in March Madness and had to hold off a late rally by the Retrievers . "We've done a lot of things in our program, but let's check off the box of winning an NCAA game today," Howard coach Kenneth Blakeney said.BYU fails in comeback attempt, falls to Texas 79-71 in First Round of NCAA TournamentDJ Armstrong Jr.'s 3-pointer with 43 seconds left got UMBC within 83-81. After Harris' jumper as the shot clock expired gave Howard a four-point lead, Jah'Likah King made a layup to make it 85-83. Isaiah Brown made one of two free throws and Armstrong couldn't convert a 3 at the buzzer, sealing a trip to Buffalo, New York, for the Bison, who enter the Midwest Region bracket as the No. 16 seed and will face top-seeded Michigan on Thursday. "Run, clock, run," Blakeney said of his thoughts in the final moments. "We went from, I want to say, a three-possession game to a two-possession game to a one-possession game." Blakeney also led Howard, one of the country's premier historically Black universities, to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title and NCAA Tournament appearances in 2023 and '24. UMBC was seeking its first March Madness win since it shocked top overall seed Virginia in 2018, becoming the first No. 16 seed to knock off a No. 1. The Retrievers lost in the second round that year and this was the first NCAA Tournament appearance since for the suburban Baltimore school, located 31 miles north of the Howard campus in Washington.Cedric Taylor III scored 16 points for Howard, going 9 of 10 at the free-throw line before fouling out in the final minute. The Bison led for all but the first 1:21 and took a 13-point lead in the first half. Okojie scored 16 points before halftime, helping the Bison to a 49-41 advantage at the break. "I said, 'Guys, this is the worst we've played all year,' for whatever the reason," UMBC coach Jim Ferry said of his halftime message. Harris, the MEAC player of the year who averaged 17.4 points, hit his second 3-pointer of the night to give Howard a 61-48 lead early in the second half before UMBC rallied. "We've been in games like this before," Okojie said. "At this big stage, there's no time for fear. There's no time for worry."Okojie picked up his fourth foul with 12:33 left and the Retrievers started putting the squeeze on the Bison, setting up the tense finish. "My teammates need me," Okojie said. "So to be solid and play those 12 minutes with not fouling is discipline, truly discipline, and trusting in my abilities."UMBC's flight to Dayton, originally scheduled for noon on Monday, was delayed more than four hours due to severe weather. The team eventually arrived shortly before 6 p.m. "I'm not going to blame anything," Ferry said. "But obviously the day we had and not being able to really practice and eat and — I thought it hurt us. We couldn't move."Howard faces a formidable opponent in Michigan, which spent time at No. 1 in the AP poll this season and is expected to contend for the title.ABC has scrubbed the upcoming season of "The Bachelorette," starring Taylor Frankie Paul, citing a newly released video from 2023.Thursday's unprecedented canceSoon, there will be a new price for those trendy black license plates.The price is increasing from $25 to $50 thanks to a new bill.MORE | Gov. Cox signs 60 moreMultiple schools and roads were closed in Kearns as police searched for two suspects wanted in connection with a shooting that critically injured one person.OffSnowbasin Ski Resort announced it would be closing early after Utah saw historic warm temperatures and dry weather during the 2025-26 season.The popular resortTwo men were taken into custody after police found an injured passenger in the backseat of a wrong-way driver's car on Interstate 80 early Thursday morning.Off
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