Holmes breaks Morgan's scoring record in win over Coppin

BALTIMORE, Md. -- Reggie Holmes, the hometown hero who helped restore Morgan State basketball to prominence, had the best of farewells at Hill Field House on Thursday night.

Playing before a packed house in his final home game, Holmes broke Marvin Webster's all-time scoring record at Morgan with a 36-point effort and a 74-54 victory over Coppin State.

The Bears finished the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference regular season with a 15-1 record and their third straight title. They go into next week's MEAC tournament as the prohibitive favorite and No. 1 seed.

Morgan (24-9 overall) pulled away in the second half against a depleted Coppin team beset with injuries and suspensions. The only suspense was how -- and when -- Holmes would eclipse The Eraser, as the 7-foot-1 Webster was known.

The 6-4 senior from St. Frances needed 33 to get the record. He had 19 in the first half and steadily chipped away in the second. With seven minutes left, after hitting his sixth 3, he had 29 points. Two minutes later he was perfect on another 3 that tied Webster's total.

And with 4:24 remaining, he got off a two-point shot as he was fouled. It dropped to give him 34 and the school record. Holmes pumped his fist in quiet celebration.

"They thought I was going to take the 3, but I swept through and [Coppin's Quinston Reggins] fouled me," Holmes said. "I patted my chest and I patted No. 4 on my jersey [in honor of teammate Anthony Anderson, who is fighting cancer]. ... It feels special to do it at home."

Holmes -- who also broke Webster's single-season scoring record with 739 points -- was coming off a 32-point game against North Carolina A&T on Monday, when he fired in a school-record eight 3-pointers.

Webster, who died last year, scored 1,990 points from 1971 to 1975, and his record stood for 35 years.

Senior Night started 62 minutes late, but Holmes quickly zeroed in on Webster's record after an emotional pre-game ceremony. He dropped in his first three 3s and scored 15 of Morgan's first 25 points. The crowd erupted with each basket.

With the loss, Coppin dropped to 3-13 in the MEAC (8-21 overall), tying the fewest conference wins in a season in coach Fang Mitchell's 24 seasons. His 2001-2002 Eagles went 3-15 with an 18-game conference schedule. Kareem Brown led the Eagles with 18 points.

The Bears have beaten Coppin five straight times and seven of the last eight in the cross-town rivalry.

Morgan began its celebratory night with the pre-game announcement that the Bears had swept the top individual awards for the season in the MEAC. Holmes was named Player of the Year , Kevin Thompson (Walbrook) earned Defensive Player of the Year and freshman DeWayne Jackson was selected as Rookie of the Year. Todd Bozeman also was named Coach of the Year for the third straight season.

The Bears also recognized three other seniors with Holmes: John Long, Buford Foote and Troy Smith (Douglass).

By winning the regular-season title, Morgan guaranteed itself a third straight postseason appearance. The Bears advance to the NCAA tournament if they win the MEAC tourney next week, and will play in the NIT if they don't.

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