Joseph McLean scored a team-high 23 points with 9 rebounds in double-overtime thriller vs. Bethune-Cookman.
Boxscore
Joseph McLean scored a jumper with 23 seconds and Tim Berkley hit two free throws helped Morgan State pull out an exciting 81-78 win in double overtime against Bethune-Cookman in front of 1,162 energetic fans at Hill Field House.
It was the second conference win for the Bears in their last three contests and it also marked their second consecutive contest decided in overtime.
A desperation 3-pointer by Antonio Webb came up shy of the rim with 2 seconds remaining in the second overtime. The Wildcats fouled James Reed on the ensuing possession, but the freshman stepped up and knocked down both of his free throws to seal the Bears victory.
Senior Tyree Spinner scored a layup in the second overtime for the Bears, who led 75-73 with 4:52 to go only to see Webb launch a 3-pointer to give the ‘Cats a one-point advantage at 76-75.
Spinner, a 6-foot-7 power forward, scored nine of his 16 points (7-16 FG) after the first half.
The teams played to a standstill over the next 4 minutes as BCC’s Webb and Anis Taylor missed 3-point attempts and MSU missed layups. With 33 second left Webb spotted up and missed his 11th 3-point attempt, McLean grabbed the defensive rebound and drove down the court for a pull-up mid-range jumper to give the Bears the lead for good.
McLean led Morgan with a team-high 23 points (9-16 FG) and was one rebound shy of his first double-double as he finished with nine boards. McLean's 23 points marked his fifth 20-point performance in five consecutive games, including a career-high 27 point outing against Florida A&M (2/4).
Like McLean, Berkley was also one rebound shy of a double-double as he finished with 18 points and nine rebounds along with two blocked shots.
The Bears had a total team effort in the extended contest. Chris Warfield had a solid floor game and chipped in 12 points and three assists, while freshman marksman Marcus Gomes added eight points, including a 3-pointer with 8 seconds to go in the first overtime to send the game into the second overtime period. It was the second time Gomes has nailed a 3-pointer to send a game into overtime.
Webb, the MEAC scoring leader averaging 17.5 ppg, led the Wildcats with a game-high 24 points but was held to 3-for-12 shooting from beyond the arc. Michael Williams II led BCC in the paint with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds before fouling out in the second overtime.
Bethune finished with a 47-37 advantage on the boards.
Morgan State shot 43.9 percent from the field (29-for-66), including 4-for-14 from 3-point range. The Wildcats finished 27-for-66 (40.9 percent), including 7-for-22 from beyond the arc.
