Corin Adams knocked down two free throws with a second left in regulation to send the game into overtime.
Boxscore
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Feb. 18, 2008)-For the second consecutive game, the Morgan State women’s basketball team found itself unable to make shots and dealing with a double digit second half deficit.
This time the deficit was 15 points and behind two clutch game-tying free throws by Corin Adams with a second left in regulation, Morgan State came from behind to defeat Bethune-Cookman, 55-50 in overtime in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game on Monday evening at the Ocean Center.
Adams, who shot 4-of-14 from the field, finished with a game-high 19 points, while Theresa Davis and Tamara Rogers each added eight points to help Morgan State to a season-long fifth consecutive win. The victory also tied last season’s regular season win total of 16 games and with four games remaining, the Lady Bears (16-9, 8-4 MEAC) have a chance to match or surpass the program’s record setting 18 wins on the Division I level, set last season.
Bethune-Cookman (4-20, 1-11 MEAC) appeared to be on the verge of blowing the game open when Euneshia Proctor’s layup gave the host Lady Wildcats their largest lead of the game, 39-24, with 10:33 left in the contest.
The Lady Bears, however, would go on a 20-5 run, capped off with Adams’ throws with a second on the clock, while holding Bethune-Cookman without a field goal for over 10 minutes, to send the game into overtime tied at 44 all.
Morgan State began the run by scoring eight straight points then used a 10-1 spurt to reclaim the lead at 42-40 on a layup by Adams at the 3:50 mark. That lead would hold up until Jalisa Isaac hit a three-pointer from the left corner to put Cookman up 44-42 with 28 seconds left and end the 10 minute drought without a field goal.
Adams then drove the baseline and got fouled with one second remaining and knocked down both free throws to send the game into overtime.
The Lady Bears held a two-point lead three minutes into the overtime session, when Adams connected on a deep three-pointer from the right elbow, putting the guests ahead, 53-48 and sealing the deal.
Bethune-Cookman held a 12-5 lead, before Morgan State responded with an 8-0 run to take its first lead of the game at 13-12 on a layup by Davis. The Lady Bears extended their lead to 17-14, following a trey by Shalane Price with 5:24 left in the opening half. The host Lady Wildcats closed out the half on a 6-1 run and took a 21-18 advantage into the lockerroom.
Morgan State out-rebounded Bethune-Cookman, 56-47, with Britney Griffin pulling down a game-high 13 rebounds and Davis grabbed 10 boards for the Lady Bears. Rogers tied a game high with six steals to lead Morgan State, which recorded 19 steals for the game. Adams added five, giving her 103 steals for the season and 173 for her career, falling one shy from tying Lisa Mickens (1997-2001) for fifth-place all-time at Morgan.
The Lady Bears finished the game shooting 14-of-57 (24 percent) from the field, including 3-of-16 (18 percent) from three-point range. Morgan State also connected on 24-of-37 free throws with Adams going hitting a career-high 10-for-13 from the line, while Bethune-Cookman shot 5-of-15 from the charity stripe. The host Lady Wildcats also finished the game shooting 30 percent (20-of-65) from the floor and 5-of-18 (27 percent) from beyond the arc.
Bethune-Cookman was led by Demetria Frank, who finished with a double-double with 18 points and 12 rebounds. Proctor came off the bench and finished with 10 points.
Morgan State returns to action on Saturday, Feb. 23, when it plays host to Howard in a MEAC game at Hill Field House at 2 p.m.
