Kevin Thompson posted his second double-double of the season.
Boxscore
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Morgan State played throughout most of tonight's game with their leading scorer having a trouble putting the ball in the basket.
Sophomore guard DeWayne Jackson, who entered the game fresh off a career-high 31-point performance against Loyola Marymount on Saturday night, scored 6 points (0-5 3FG) before fouling out against the BIG EAST member.
Despite missing Jackson's offensive production, the Bears fought hard before eventually falling to the Friars 77-55 at Duncan Donuts Center on Thursday night. It marked MSU's first loss of the season.
Junior forward Kevin Thompson led Morgan State (1-1) and notched his second double-double of the season with with 14 points, and junior Aric Brooks added 13 points and 8 rebounds for the defending MEAC champions, who kept things interesting until midway through the second half.
MSU trailed 29-25 at halftime, but chipped into the lead during the opening minutes of the second half. The Bears tied the ballgame at 42-42 with 10:21 left in the game when Ameer Ali converted two free throws.
Ali finished with eight rebounds and 4 points off of the bench.
The Friars answered with a 13-4 run and a Marshon Brooks basket in the lane gave his team a 55-46 lead with just over 7 minutes remaining in the game. Providence rolled from that point forward.
Brooks scored 16 of his game-high 22 points in the second half. The senior guard also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, to go along with six assists, three blocks and two steals. Vincent Council added 14 points and five assists, and Kadeem Batts had 14 points and eight boards for the Friars (3-0), who struggled to put away the Bears.
The Bears stayed in the ballgame as a result of solid free-throw shooting. Morgan made 16-of-21 (76.2 pct.) from the line, while the Friars converted 20-of-28 (71.4 pct.) from the stripe.
Providence shot 39.4 percent (28-71) from the field and held the Bears to just 30.6 percent (16-62), including 11.1 percent (1-9) from 3-point territory.
MSU was outrebounded by a 51-40 margin, and the Friars scored 19 points off of 18 turnovers by the Bears.
Morgan will continue the next leg of its road swing when it travels to tip-off against LaSalle (Nov. 20; 3 p.m.), and Western Illinois (Nov. 23; 1:30 p.m.) in the first game of the Cancun Tournament in Mexico.
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