Morgan State 59, Howard 58
Bear Shots
WASHINGTON, D.C. (March 6, 2014)-Morgan State's
Simone Sampson tallied her second consecutive double-double of the season and her career, finishing with a career-high 15 points and a career-high 11 rebounds, as the visiting Lady Bears ended the regular season with a 59-58 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over Howard on Thursday evening at Burr Gymnasium.
Tracey Carrington scored a game-high 20 points of the Lady Bears, her 12
th 20-point game of the season.
Danielle Robinson and
Ivy Harrington each scored eight points for Morgan State, which ended a five-game losing.
The final 20-plus seconds of Thursday's game were similar to last year's MEAC quarterfinal game between Howard and Morgan State. Last year in a tied game during the tournament, Howard had the ball for the final possession. Morgan State's failure to box out on the first shot attempt, gave the Lady Bison another opportunity and Nicole Deterville picked up the loose ball and scored as the horn sounded for a 62-60 win.
Once again Howard (10-19, 6-10 MEAC) would have the final possession and this time trailing by a point. But on this evening the Lady Bears would catch a break, and the ball would bounce their way.
However, it wouldn't be easy, as the Lady Bison got several chances at the potential game winner. The last coming by sophomore Victoria Gonzalez, who missed her final put back attempt. The ball ricochet off several players' hands as time expired, giving Morgan State the win.
Freshman Te'Shay Heslip came off the bench to score a team-high 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and Gonzalez added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds for Howard.
Morgan State (5-24, 3-13 MEAC) held a 15-10 advantage with 11:00 minutes to play, following a floater in the lane by Carrington, but the Lady Bison countered with an 8-0 run to take an 18-15 lead. The team's traded baskets until back-to-back baskets by Carrington gave Morgan State a 25-21 advantage with 1:15 left in the half.
Howard's Tasia Majors ended the scoring with a jumper from the right wing to cut the Morgan State lead to 25-24 at the break.
The Lady Bison used runs of 9-4 and 8-2 in the second half to take a 42-40 lead, following a basket by Heslip.
Morgan State trailed by three (48-45), before
Danielle Robinson drained a three-pointer to even the score at 48 all, triggering an 11-2 spurt by the Lady Bears to take a 56-50 lead. The Lady Bears would be held to just three free throws the final 6:02 of the game, as Howard went on an 8-3 run to pull within 59-58 after a layup from Gonzalez with 52 seconds left in the game. Gonzalez, who was fouled on the play, would miss the free throw, setting the stage for the final possession.
The Lady Bears will now direct their attention towards next week's 2014 MEAC Tournament at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. (March 10-15). Morgan State, which will be the No. 12 seed, will take on Savannah State, who finished the season in fifth-place with a 17-13 overall and 10-6 MEAC. That game will take place on Monday, March 10 at 1:30 p.m.
