Preview: Howard Bison at South Carolina State Bulldogs

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (Interstat) — A struggling South Carolina State team seeks a reversal of fortune when it hosts Howard in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball matchup Saturday at SHM Memorial Center.

The Bulldogs (1-14) enter on a seven-game losing streak, most recently a 105-54 road defeat at Tennessee on Tuesday. Their lone win came against NAIA program Brewton-Parker on Dec. 19.

Howard (9-6) aims to rebound from a 60-80 loss at Northwestern on Tuesday. The Bison had won four of their previous five games before the setback.

The matchup features two of the MEAC’s top scorers. South Carolina State guard Jayden Johnson is averaging 21.3 points over his last three games, including a 25-point performance against Tennessee. He leads the Bulldogs with 15.1 points per game.

Howard will counter with forward Travelle Bryson, who scored 19 points and grabbed six rebounds at Northwestern. Bryson is a key piece for a Bison squad that has shown resilience in close games, including a 67-66 win at UNC Wilmington on Dec. 20.

South Carolina State’s season has been defined by a challenging non-conference schedule with road games at Missouri, South Carolina and Tennessee. The Bulldogs rank near the bottom nationally in scoring defense, allowing 86.1 points per game.

Howard, which averages 73.9 points, will look to exploit that defense. Beyond Bryson, guard Cam Gillus leads the team in assists, dishing out seven in the loss to Northwestern.

This game opens the MEAC schedule for both teams. South Carolina State has lost 12 consecutive games against Division I opponents. Howard won both meetings last season by an average of 22.5 points.

Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. EST Saturday.