HBCU Basketball Rundown: Southern & UMES Win, Howard & AAMU Fall in Postseason

HOUSTON — Howard University pushed the No. 1 seed in the country to the limit at halftime before falling 101-80 in the NCAA Tournament. Southern University closed on a 14-2 run to advance in the NCAA Women's Tournament. Maryland-Eastern Shore walked into an ACC arena and silenced Wake Forest 59-48 in one of the program's biggest wins in history. Alabama A&M wrapped a postseason run that few expected when the season began.

Four programs. Four stages. One night that reminded the nation what HBCU athletics looks like when it shows up.

Howard Bison fall to Michigan Wolverines | IMAGN | HBCU LEGENDS, IMAGN IMAGES

NCAA Tournament - 1st Round | Midwest Region

No. 1 Michigan 101, No. 16 Howard 80

Michigan used its depth and a strong second half to pull away from Howard on Thursday night at KeyBank Center in Buffalo, winning 101-80 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Michigan led from start to finish, though Howard narrowed the score to 50-46 by halftime. After the break, Michigan pulled away.

Howard played hard but could not keep up with Michigan, a team seen as a national title contender at the Final Four.

Coach Kenneth Blakeney and the Bison wrapped up a strong season with a 24-11 record. Their run was historic for the MEAC Champions, highlighted by the program’s first NCAA Tournament win, 86-83 over UMBC in the First Four.

Cam Gillus and Bryce Harris both scored 21 points to lead Howard. Gillus shot 6-for-9 from the field and made five of six three-pointers.

Harris also shot well from long range, making three of seven attempts. Cedric Taylor III added 19 points, shooting 7-of-12 overall and 4-for-7 from three.

The Bison shot 43 percent overall and 48 percent from three-point range, but Michigan’s size and deeper bench were too much to overcome.

For Michigan, Morez Johnson Jr. scored 21 points, making all eight of his shots. Aday Mara added 19 points, seven rebounds, and three blocks. Yaxel Lendeborg, despite an ankle injury, finished with nine points, four rebounds, and four assists in 27 minutes. Off the bench, Roddy Gayle Jr. contributed 14 points.

Howard leaders: Cam Gillus 21 pts (5-6 3PT), Bryce Harris 21 pts, Cedric Taylor III 19 pts
Michigan leaders: Morez Johnson Jr. 21 pts (8-8 FG), Aday Mara 19 pts/7 reb/3 blk, Yaxel Lendeborg 9 pts/4 ast
Howard shooting: 27-63 FG (43%), 14-29 3PT (48%), 12-17 FT (71%)
Michigan shooting: 37-55 FG (67%), 11-24 3PT (46%), 16-20 FT (80%)

Southern Jaguars Win | HBCU Legends, SU Athletics

NCAA Women’s Tournament - First Four | Regional 4, Sacramento

No. 16 Southern 65, No. 16 Samford 53

Southern University finished the game with a 14-2 run to beat Samford 65-53 in the NCAA Women’s Tournament First Four on Thursday night in Sacramento.

The Jaguars fell behind at times but took control in the fourth quarter to move on to the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Southern set the pace late, outscoring Samford 21-9 in the fourth quarter to turn a close game into a double-digit win. The Jaguars led for most of the game and had a 37-32 edge in rebounds.

Jaylia Reed led Southern with 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting. DeMya Porter had a strong double-double with 15 points and 12 rebounds. Mia Cunningham ran the offense well, finishing with eight assists. Off the bench, Jocelyn Tate added 10 points and seven rebounds.

Rivera led Samford with 16 points, but the team shot just 35 percent and committed 19 turnovers.

Southern leaders: Jaylia Reed 16 pts (6-10 FG), DeMya Porter 15 pts/12 reb., Mia Cunningham 8 assists
Samford leaders: B. Rivera 16 pts (5-11 FG, 3-3 FT), M. Bishop 7 rebounds
Southern shooting: 23-58 FG (40%), 5-14 3PT (36%), 14-22 FT (64%)
Key stat: Southern 10 turnovers vs. Samford 19 turnovers

Alabama A&M Bulldogs lose to BYU Cougars | HBCU LEGENDS, AAMU ATHLETICS

WBIT - 1st Round

BYU 72, Alabama A&M 47

Coach Dawn Thornton and the Alabama A&M Lady Bulldogs saw their postseason end Thursday evening as BYU led from start to finish, winning 72-47 in the first round of the WBIT before 1,283 fans at the Marriott Center in Provo, Utah.

The Lady Cougars took an early lead and were never seriously threatened, holding the Bulldogs to 30 percent shooting.

Alabama A&M, which came in with a 22-11 record, struggled to find consistent offense against BYU’s defense.

The Bulldogs shot only 19 percent from three and 30 percent overall, while BYU held a 49-32 advantage in rebounds. According to ESPN Game Flow, BYU led for 97 percent of the game.

Kayla Walker led Alabama A&M with 20 points on 7-of-14 shooting, providing most of the team’s offense. Miyah Davenport grabbed 10 rebounds.

Benally led BYU with 18 points and five assists, while Yussuf pulled down 10 rebounds.

Alabama A&M leaders: K. Walker 20 pts (7-14 FG), M. Davenport 10 reb
BYU leaders: S. Benally 18 pts/5 ast, B. Yussuf 10 reb
Alabama A&M shooting: 18-61 FG (30%), 4-21 3PT (19%), 7-9 FT (78%)
Key stat: BYU outrebounded Alabama A&M 49-32; the Bulldogs led for just 2% of the game

UMES DOWN DEACON DEMONS — UMES DOWN WAKE FOREST | UMES ATHLETICS

NCAA Women’s Basketball Invitational (WBI) - 1st Round

UMES 59, Wake Forest 48

Coach Malikah Willis and her Maryland-Eastern Shore team earned one of the program’s biggest wins Thursday night, beating ACC member Wake Forest 59-48 in the first round of the WBI at LJVM Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

The Hawks (20-14, 11-3 MEAC) controlled the third quarter against the Demon Deacons and closed the game with a strong fourth.

🏀 WINNING HIGHLIGHTS 🎥

UMES opened the WNIT with a 59-48 first round win at Wake Forest for the first postseason win in the Hawks’ first trip to the postseason in program history!

For a full recap, visit https://t.co/xntNtgiJ7n!#HawkPride | #SoarAboveandBeyond | #HBCUMade pic.twitter.com/8jKdFmIw66
— Hawk Women's Hoops 🏀 (@UMESWomensHoops) March 20, 2026

After trailing 14-12 at the end of the first quarter, UMES turned things around in the second, outscoring Wake Forest 15-8 to lead 27-22 at halftime. The Hawks built a 10-point lead early in the third and were up by as many as nine heading into the fourth.

When Wake Forest took a 43-42 lead midway through the final quarter, UMES freshmen Taylor and Perry quickly answered.

Desi Taylor hit a go-ahead three-pointer to put the Hawks back in front, and they never trailed again. Taylor made another three with seven seconds left to seal the upset.

Taylor sparked the offense off the bench, finishing with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-13 shooting and making five of 11 three-pointers. Kaliya Perry contributed 16 points, 12 rebounds, four steals, and a block in 35 minutes, helping UMES out-rebound Wake Forest 44-33.

Ashanti Lynch added nine points and three steals. Kalise Hill ran the offense, handing out 11 assists with only one turnover and playing tough defense all game.

Turner pulled down 16 rebounds and scored four points at the free-throw line. The UMES bench outscored Wake Forest’s bench 26-0.

Carter led Wake Forest with 19 points, but the team shot just 32 percent overall and 17 percent from three-point range. Their bench did not score.

It was a big win for the Hawks, who move on to the second round of the WNIT to face Youngstown State on Tuesday, March 24, at 6:30 p.m. in Youngstown, Ohio.

UMES leaders: Desi Taylor 19 pts (5-11 3PT), Kaliya Perry 16 pts/12 reb/4 stl, Kalise Hill 11 assists, Dakieran Turner 16 rebounds
Wake Forest leader: Mary Carter 19 pts (7-17 FG)
UMES shooting: 22-67 FG (32.8%), 7-18 3PT (38.9%), 8-9 FT (88.9%)
Key stat: UMES bench outscored Wake Forest bench 26-0; Hill finished with 11 assists and 1 turnover