Jenkins, Warner Lead Hampton Past Morgan State on ESPNU, 74-60

Morgan State 60, Hampton 74

HAMPTON, Va. (Jan. 30, 2012)-Jericka Jenkins scored a game-high 25 points and added a game-high eight assists, while Melanie Warner finished with 20 points to lead host Hampton to a 74-60 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over Morgan State on Monday afternoon in an ESPNU game at the HU Convocation Center.

Warner, who scored the Lady Pirates' first eight points of the game, shot 7-of-12 from the floor, including 3-for-6 from three-point range and added six rebounds and three steals.

Meanwhile, DeKeisha Mathis and Kierah Hicks provided the Lady Bears' first 16 points. Mathis hit the game's first three-pointer and after Hicks knocked down back-to-back treys, Mathis followed with her second one to bring the Lady Bears within 12-13 with 12:52 to play.

Morgan State (6-15, 3-5 MEAC) finally got scoring from someone else when Omara Parker's basket capped off a 6-2 run by the Lady Bears to pull within 20-18 at the 7:02 mark.

The hosts then responded with a 16-5 spurt the remainder of the half to take a 36-23 lead into the lockerroom.

Hampton (16-4, 8-1 MEAC) extended its lead to 16 points (50-34) with a 14-11 run to start the second stanza. The Lady Bears would respond with an 11-2 run, capped off by a trey from Mathis to pull Morgan within seven points at 52-45 with 10:23 left to play.

The Lady Bears would use another run, this time of 11-3, capped off by a layup by Davis to bring the guests within six (62-56) with 4:38 remaining. But Morgan State would run out of gas, as Hampton would hold Morgan scoreless for the next three and a half minutes, while going on a 10-0 spurt to up the deficit to 72-56 with a minute to play.

Despite the outcome, the Lady Bears played pretty well on the road against a Hampton squad that was coming off its first MEAC loss of the season on Saturday to Coppin State. Morgan State fought back from numerous double-digit deficits in the game, but settled for jump shots instead of attacking the basket, something that Coppin found helpful in going to the free throw line an unheard of 44 times against the Lady Pirates in their own building.

The Lady Bears went to the line just six times against Hampton, converting four of them, while Hampton had 20 attempts and knocked down 16 of them, which was the game.

Morgan State also didn't receive the bench production that it has throughout the season. Of the six reserves to play, only Parker, who finished with a team-high 20 points scored. Her 20 points helped the Lady Bears hold a slim 20-19 advantage in bench points.

Turnovers didn't help either, as the Lady Pirates forced 20 Morgan State turnovers, converting those into 32 points. Morgan State forced 11 Hampton turnovers and scored just nine points.

Mathis, who entered the contest second in the MEAC in three-pointers made (53) behind Hampton's McMillian (60), won the three-point battle, knocking down four three-pointers to finish with 16 points. McMillian finished with six points and hit one three-pointer. Mathis (57) now trails McMillian (61) by four three-pointers.

Hicks finished with 12 points, 10 in the first half, while Monehsia Davis and Parker led Morgan State with seven rebounds apiece. Davis also recorded a team-high two steals, giving her 101 for her career.

Behind a game-high 13 rebounds by McMillian and Keiara Avant, who came off the bench and grabbed 10 rebounds the Lady Pirates outrebounded Morgan State, 45-38.

The Lady Bears return home for their second and final four-game homestand of the season. Morgan State will begin it with a Saturday match-up against cross-town rival Coppin State on Feb. 4th. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m. at Hill Field House. It will be just the fifth home game this season for the Lady Bears.

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