DeWayne Jackson paced the Bears with 21 points against the Pirates.
Boxscore
BALTIMORE, Md. – DeWayne Jackson scored 21 points and Kevin Thompson added 19 points to help knock off Hampton 78-72 on Monday night at Hill Field House.
Jackson, ranked among the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference's leading scorers (16.7 points per game) was 5-of-17 from the field and converted 11-of-12 free throws.
Thompson, the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, spent 37 minutes rumbling in the paint and collected his eighth double-double of the season with 19 points and 10 rebounds to go along with three blocked shots in the victory.
Aric Brooks added a season-high 18 points, including key free throws down the stretch to ice the ballgame.
“I felt that the guys gutted it out and it was a hard fought victory,” said Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman. “I've been waiting for Aric and DeWayne to get to the free throw line, because I know they have the ability to do it.”
The Bears held a 42-34 scoring advantage in the paint and outrebounded the Pirates by a 40-31 margin.
Darrion Pellum, who led the Pirates with 23 points, hit a three-pointer that tied the game at 33 in the opening moments of the second half. But the Bears responded as Ameer Ali scored seven straight points and Jackson hit a pair of free throws that capped a 13-2 run and gave the Bears its largest lead at 46-35 with 14:20 remaining.
Ali was a strong presence for the Bears interior defense and finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The Bears (7-7, 3-0 MEAC) led 60-49 with 8:05 left to play before Hampton began chipping into the lead behind the play of Kwame Morgan and Brandon Tunnell. Morgan scored eight of his 14 points, including a pair of free throws that pulled the Pirates within four, trailing 64-60 with 3:42 left to go.
Tunnell finished with 17 points for the Pirates (12-4, 2-1 MEAC).
The momentum shifted back in favor of the Bears when Jackson was fouled by Danny on an on a slashing layup and by Danny Agbelese. Jackson's free throw completed the three-point play and gave the Bears a 67-60 cushion, which turned out to be all the cushion they would need tonight.
Morgan State built a 10-2 lead before Pellum went baseline for a one-handed throwdown to jump start the Pirates. Pellum knocked down back to back three-pointers that tied the ballgame at 10 apiece with 13:57 remaining in the first half.
Thompson scored 10 of the Bears next 16 points and a Gene Johnson jump shot gave the Bears a 28-19 with 6:50 remaining in the half. The Pirates closed the gap to 30-28 a 9-2 run capped by a dunk by Tunnell (2:33). The Bears took a 33-30 lead into the intermission.
