PRINCESS ANNE, Md. (Jan. 31, 2022)-Ja'Niah Henson scored a career- and game-high 20 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including 4-of-4 from three-point range and 4-for-4 from the free throw line to lead Morgan State past host Maryland Eastern Shore, 72-60 in what was a physical game on Monday evening at the Hytche Athletic Center.
 
Morgan State improved to 8-6 overall, 2-2 in the MEAC with the win, while MDES fell to 5-12, 1-4 in the MEAC. The victory was the first MEAC road win of the season for Morgan State, who has now won eight of the last 11 meetings against the Hawks.
 
Henson would add a game-high three assists, two rebounds and a steal, while Adia Brisker came off the bench to score 15 points and Ashia McCalla added 12. Taylor Addison led the way with a game-high six rebounds, including five on the offensive end.
 
"It's been really tough for me this season due to being out from having a concussion and Covid, but I have just been really getting in the gym so that I can get back to having stronger performances and leading the team as a point guard," said Henson on her career night. "It was an adverse game, but we conquered and that was good. I feel like the team effort was outstanding and we fought all the way to the end."  
 
With the Hawks' program opting out of the 2020-21 season due to Covid-19, Monday evening's contest was the first meeting between the intrastate rivals since Feb. 8, 2020 in Baltimore. The Maryland foes seemed as if they were making up for lost time, as play got physical at times. A total of nine technical fouls would be issued, including on on the Hawks' bench. The Hawks' Taylor Clayborne and Morgan's Dahnye Redd were both ejected.
 
A combined 42 fouls were called and a total of 48 free throws were taken. Morgan State would connect on 19-of-22 (86.4 percent), while the Hawks shot 57.7 percent (15-of-26) from the line.
 
The Lady Bears, who led 35-21 at the intermission, began the third quarter using a 10-4 spurt to take their largest lead of the game at 20 points (45-25), when Sunshine McCrae hit a free throw to complete a three-point play with six minutes remaining in the third.
 
MDES went on a 19-8 run, capped off by a layup from Ariana Seawell with 8:56 left in the fourth quarter to bring the hosts within nine points at 53-44. That would be as close as the Hawks would get, as the Lady Bears countered with a 13-2 run to push the lead right back to 20 points (66-46) on a jumper by Brisker with 4:59 left in the game.
 
"We played a solid team effort," said McCalla. "We played good team defense, which was the deciding factor in the win. We also had scoring from multiple places. Ja'Niah [Henson] and Adia [Brisker] both stepped up and had good games."
 
MDES was led by Brooklyn Bailey, who came off the bench to finish with 15 points. Zamara Haynes scored 10.
 
"As a team we fought through adversity with our captain Dahnye [Redd] getting ejected from the game and having five technical fouls called on us," said senior Taylor Addison. "But as a team we still came together and said we were not going to let the adversity get to us and continued to fight through it and ultimately came out with an all-around team win."
 
Next up for Morgan State will be a trip to Durham, N.C. to face the Eagles of North Carolina Central on Saturday, Feb. 5. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. at McDougald-McLendon Arena. The game was originally scheduled for Jan. 8, but was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols within the NCCU program.


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 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.