Boubacar Coly collected a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds against Hampton on Monday night.
Boxscore
HAMPTON, Va. -- Morgan State connected on 7-of-8 free throws down the stretch to pull out a 64-57 victory over Hampton in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game Monday night at HU Convocation Center. The result forced a three-way tie for first place in the loss column between the two teams and Norfolk State.
The Bears are off to their best start since the 1978-79 season when James Gus Guydon led Morgan State to an 18-12 record.
Morgan State (11-8, 6-1 MEAC) led in rebounding 45-38 and was paced offensively by senior guard Jamar Smith's 23 points, while the Bears tough defense held Hampton’s leading scorer Rashad West to just nine points on 3-of-15 shooting from the field.
Hampton (11-7, 5-1) took its last lead of the game, 47-45, on Vinny Simpson's 3-pointer with 9:08 remaining. Adrian Woodard's 3 as the shot clock expired pushed the lead to five points, 50-45, with 7:39 left.
But the Pirates hit just one field goal the rest of the game, while Morgan State went on a 19-7 run. Hampton tied it at 55 on Simpson's long 3-pointer with 3:39 left, but got no closer.
Marquise Kately answered right back for the Bears, who expanded the margin on free throws late.
Hampton took their first lead of the contest at 3:12 when Freeman connected on the back half of a one-and-one, but Smith responded by scoring a three-pointer and a jumper to end to help take a 27-26 lead into the locker room.
Smith's 14 points were the offensive highlight of the first half as Morgan State shot 39 percent from the field to Hampton's 27.
Senior post player Boubacar Coly, who earlier in the day was named to his 5th consecutive MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, picked up two fouls in five minutes and sat the rest of the half.
After five ties, Hampton took its first lead, 21-21, with four minutes left in the first half.
"The key was that we got to the free-throw line in the second half and made our free throws," said MSU coach Todd Bozeman. "That was huge and so was getting defensive stops at the end."
"This was a gut check for us. Hampton went up five points in the second half and we had to fight through it. That was huge for us--it's a significant win and another step for us."
Morgan State shot 3-for-4 from the free throw line in the first half and finished the game 19-for-24 (79.2%), while the Pirates struggled by connecting on just 16-of-27 (59.3%).
Coly finished the ballgame with 12 points and 12 rebounds and Reggie Holmes came up big for the Bears from the free throw line (7-8 FT) and chipped in 14 points.
Mike Freeman was the lone Pirate in double-figures by posting 13 points and 10 rebounds. Matthew Pilgrim and Brandon Tunnell added nine points apiece.
