Morgan State celebrates upset win at Howard on Friday night.
Box Score
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Oct. 18, 2013)-Morgan State put together perhaps its best all-around match of the season on Friday night, as the Lady Bears shocked host Howard with a 3-1 (13-25, 25-18, 27-25, 25-21) Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) North Division victory at Burr Gymnasium.
With the win, the Lady Bears ended a two-match losing skid to the Lady Bison and closed out the first half of the MEAC schedule with a 3-3 mark, while Howard dropped back-to-back home contests and fell to 4-2 in conference play.
"I feel like maybe today is that turning point where we can play with some confidence. I feel like that is one of the things that we've been missing," said Morgan State head coach
Ramona Riley-Bozier on Morgan's signature win over second-place Howard. "Not being aggressive towards the end of sets is all we talked about. Staying aggressive and not focusing on the score and just playing hard from the beginning to the end."
Samantha Prescott led Morgan State (8-11) with a match-high 15 kills and added 12 digs to record a double-double in the upset of Howard.
Ngebui Chafeh also added a double-double with a match-high 32 assists and 11 digs.
Arianna Hayden totaled a match-high 16 digs, while
Shanotta Bawek finished with 15, as Morgan State avenged its five-set loss to Howard in a non-conference match earlier this season at the Providence Friar Classic.
The last time the Lady Bears came into Burr Gymnasium was Nov. 9 of last season in the season finale and they left with a 3-1 defeat to end the season, which gave the Lady Bison their only win of 2012.
Like last season, the Lady Bears would drop the first set on Friday night. But this time Morgan State would not be denied, as the Lady Bears bounced back to win the next three sets to shut down Howard and take the match.
"They [Howard] were playing pretty good ball and knowing that we lost to them earlier in the year in five was disappointing," said Riley-Bozier. "The only thing I could say when we lost the first time was 'this is ok because it's hard to beat a team three times.' We just wanted the last two times that we played them to have victories. "So it's kind of nice to finish this first round [of the schedule] with this victory, knowing where Howard was seeded."
Howard (15-8) was led by Katherine Broussard, who totaled a double-double with 12 kills and a team-high 13 digs. Assata Conway also finished with 12 kills and Allyson Lods added 12 digs. Stephanie Shultis recorded 28 assists.
The Lady Bison tallied 11 service aces with Alexis Campbell and Shultis each finishing with a match-high three aces. However, Howard committed 14 service errors. Hayden recorded all three of Morgan State's aces. The Lady Bears finished with nine errors.
Zuri Smith and
Janelle Wilson had six blocks apiece to help Morgan State to a 12.0-4.0 blocking advantage over Howard. Prescott and Chafeh added four and three blocks, respectively. Howard was led by Shultis, who had three blocks.
Morgan State will return to Hill Field House this Sunday for a MEAC match-up against crosstown rival Coppin State. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. with the winner to take sole position of fourth-place. Coppin State was a 3-1 winner on Friday over visiting North Carolina Central.
"I am hoping they keep themselves focused," said Riley-Bozier of the Lady Bears as they now look toward its contest against Coppin State. "I do put a lot back on them that they are the ones who control their own destiny. I'm just here giving reminders, but it's all on them. I think right now they feel really good and I hope it's a feeling that they don't just get relaxed and that they'll be ready to keep charging forward."
Sunday's contest will be the Lady Bears' annual Dig Pink match for breast cancer awareness. Fans are encouraged to wear pink to the match. Bingo will be played throughout the course of the match for a chance to win various prizes and there will be a serving contest.
