BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 18, 2020)-Morgan State junior guard Ashia McCalla scored a team-high 21 points to lead three Lady Bears in double figures scoring, as Morgan State defeated the United States Naval Academy, 67-63 in a non-conference contest on Friday afternoon at Hill Field House.
 
Playing for the first time since 2005, Morgan State, which had lost two straight and five of the last six meetings to Navy, now leads the series, 8-7.
 
Morgan State improved to 3-0 with the win and has won seven straight home contests and 14 of their last 15 at Hill Field House. The 3-0 start is the first for the Lady Bears since the 2008-09 season.  
 
McCalla, who scored nine of her points in the first quarter, shot 8-for-16 for the game and knocked down four of Morgan's nine three-pointers. Ja'Niah Henson scored 15 points and dished out a game-high seven assists, while Dahnye Redd added 12 points and pulled down a team-best nine rebounds.
 
The Mids (0-4), who were playing their fourth consecutive road game to start the season, jumped out to an early 9-3 advantage and held a 13-6 lead with 5:54 left in the first quarter, following back-to-back baskets by Morganne Andrews. Morgan State used an 11-4 spurt capped off by a steal and layup from Sydney Searcy to even the score at 17 all at the 1:55 mark of the opening period. The score would remain tied after a quarter of play at 19-19.
 
A three-pointer by Mccalla gave the host Lady Bears a 22-21 lead with 9:32 to play in the second, their first since leading 3-0 15 seconds into the game. Navy responded with a 9-2 spurt to take a 30-26 lead. The Mids would take a 38-34 lead into the locker room.
 
Morgan State came out of the break and began to knock down the long-range shot. The Lady Bears, who shot 4-of-7 (54 percent) from three-point range in the third period, knocked down three straight three-pointers in the midst of a 9-2 run to take a 45-40 advantage, after McCalla hit the last one at the 6:59 mark.
 
A fourth quarter jumper by Henson with 5:58 left in the contest, matched the Lady Bears largest lead of the afternoon at 59-50. Navy would not go away, using an 11-2 run to even the score at 61 all on a jumper by Sophie Gatzounas with 1:22 left in the game.
 
The hosts then closed out the game by scoring six of the final eight points, including four straight free throws to secure the win.
 
Morgan State shot 62.5 percent (10-of-16) from the free throw line, while Navy finished 6-of-7 (85.7 percent) for the game. The Lady Bears forced the Mids into 25 turnovers and committed 14 turnovers themselves.
 
Navy was led by Jennifer Coleman, who tied a career-high 25 points on 11-of-24 shooting. Coleman also added a game-high 10 rebounds to earn a double-double. Gatzounas totaled 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Kristina Donza finished with 10 points.
 
The Lady Bears will return to action this Sunday, Dec. 20, when they visit rival Towson at 2 p.m. The game was recently added to the schedule this week. The Tigers hold a 15-10 all-time series lead. The two teams last met Dec. 18, 2013 with Morgan State earning a 69-63 victory at home.
 

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Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.