UMBC used up all their magic back in 2018. They’re still digging for more and haven’t gotten enough to get back to the tournament. Although they have to be close at this point. This was a true shootout. Okojie led the way for Howard offensively and set the tone. He attacked the rim early and often. After 38 minutes, it looked like Howard would cruise to their first ever NCAA tournament win thanks to their 11-point lead. A lead that they had gotten thanks to being the better team most of the game, keeping the Retrievers at arm’s length. That was until a crazy 9-0 run that only took about a minute to cut the lead to just 2 points with less than a minute to go in regulation. All of a sudden, it looked like Howard would have to wait a little longer for their first win. After a messy possession, Bryce Harris would hit a fadeaway out of a double team and give Howard a 2 possession lead once again. That shot was the insurance mark they needed to secure their first ever NCAA tournament win.
