Reggie Holmes posted his fourth game of the season with 30 or more points.
Boxscore
Bear Shots
BALTIMORE, Md. – Reggie Holmes scored a game-high 31 points and helped Morgan State open a 10-point lead midway through the second half, and the Bears held off a late rally by Manhattan to win 83-74 Saturday at Hill Field House.
The Bears improved to 6-4 for the season after notching its first win against the Jaspers, who beat MSU 61-60 last season on a last second basket in the first meeting between the teams.
“Any win in Division I is a good win, and I'm happy about that,” said MSU coach Todd Bozeman.
“Manhattan is a good program, but I'm not happy with the way we're playing. Defensively, we can play better.”
Holmes, who entered the ballgame ranked No. 4 in the nation in scoring (24.7 ppg), seemed to find his stroke early in the ballgame and as a result Manhattan suffered.
Holmes lit the Jaspers up for 18 points in the second half, scoring six points during a 13-4 run that gave MSU a 46-39 lead. The Baltimore product finished the ballgame by shooting 10-for-17 from the field and 4-for-6 from 3-point territory – and Manhattan never seemed to have an answer for him.
Kevin Thompson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore, collected his eighth double-double of the season by posting 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with four blocked shots. Troy Smith had 12 points and added three steals and three assists off of the bench.
MSU's defense limited the Jaspers to 37.1 percent shooting from the field (23-62) and 4-for-15 (26.7 percent) from beyond the arc.
“Our defense has been up and down like a rollercoaster,” said senior guard Reggie Holmes. “Sometimes we're bad, and sometimes we're good.”
Manhattan (5-5), who have lost four of their last five games, had five players score in double-figures. Senior guard Daryl Crawford paced the Jaspers with 24 points (8-8 FT), while Laurence Jolicoeur added 15, Antoine Pearson had 12, and Brandon Adams and Rico Picket chipped in 10 each.
The Bears bounced back from a subpar shooting performance at Minnesota (29.6 percent) and completed the game by shooting 46.2 percent (24-52) from the floor and 7-for-12 (58.3 percent) from 3-point territory.
MSU has won 7 of its last 12 non-conference meetings, including wins against Arkansas, Maryland and UMBC.
MSU will close out the month at home against Towson on Tuesday, December 22nd at Hill Field House. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Bear Note:
MSU head coach Todd Bozeman has led the Bears to a 26-5 home record inside the confines of Hill Field House.
Reggie Holmes recorded his fourth 30 point performance of the season -- he scored a career-high 34 in an upset win at Arkansas
