COLUMBIA, Md. - The Harford men's basketball team used a strong second-half burst to escape with an 81-74 victory at Howard on Thursday. The Fighting Owls are among seven teams fighting for the final four spots in the upcoming MD JUCO Tournament.

Evason Ogbonna was nearly perfect in the opening half, but the Dragons took a 34-33 lead into the break. Ogbonna came off the bench to score 15 points in the half on 6-of-8 shooting. He finished with a game-high 24 points and nine rebounds in 32 minutes.

In the second half, Harford opened the frame on a run and held on for the win. Jalen Thompson, who recorded a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, netted 10 points after halftime.

Aaron McDonald scored 14 points on 5-of-10 shooting after missing the last contest with an illness. Jay Johnson continued his strong play off the bench with eight points on 2-of-2 shooting from the floor and 4-of-4 from the line.