Howard 68, Maryland-Baltimore County 54

James Daniel scored a game-high 19 points, and teammate James Miller added 18 as the visiting Howard Bison defeated the Maryland-Baltimore County Retrievers 68-54 at the RAC Arena Tuesday night in Catonsville, Md.

The combination of Daniel (sophomore guard) and Miller (sophomore guard/forward) was too much for UMBC (0-4) to overcome as Howard (3-3) won its second straight game.

Daniel made five of 12 from the field and eight of 11 from the line. Miller didn’t miss much, hitting six of nine shots and all four free throws.

He also added five rebounds, four assists and three steals.

Daniel and Miller carried Howard from the start. They combined for 21 first-half points as the Bison took a 31-26 lead at the break.

Miller made all three of his shots from the field and posted nine points while Daniel added 12 more.

The Bison controlled the pace and slowly stretched the lead throughout the second half as UMBC never drew closer than five points.

UMBC coach Aki Thomas played at Howard, and this was the first time he’d coached against his alma mater.

Junior guard Aaron Morgan led UMBC with 13 points, but the Retrievers shot just 36 percent from the field as their early-season offensive problems continued.

UMBC has been hurt on offense due to the loss of last year’s top scorer, sophomore guard Rodney Elliott, out for an indefinite period with a shoulder injury suffered in the season opener.

Both schools next play on Saturday. UMBC meets cross-town rival Towson while Howard meets Gwynedd Mercy University (cq).