BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 6, 2023)--Charlene Shepherd led four Lady Bears in double figures scoring with a game-high 20 points, while adding eight rebounds, an assist, a block and two steals, as Morgan State closed out the first half of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) slate by defeating visiting South Carolina State, 76-64 on Monday evening at Hill Field House.
 
The game was a makeup from the originally scheduled Jan. 9 contest which was postponed due to Covid-19 protocols within the SC State program.
 
Morgan State, which improved to 14-6 overall, 7-0 in the MEAC, extended its winning streak to a season-best seven consecutive victories. South Carolina State, which dropped its ninth straight to the Lady Bears, fell to 2-20, 1-6 MEAC.
 
Ja'Niah Henson finished with 13 points and a game-high four assists, while Taylor Addison collected her third double-double of the season, totaling 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds (eight on the offensive end). Gabrielle Johnson came off the bench to add 11 points, three assists and a game-high three steals, as the Lady Bears extended their homecourt winning streak to 16 straight and have now won 36 of their last 39 games at home.
 
South Carolina State also had four players score in double figures led by Lovely Sonnier, who shot 6-for-8 from the floor and knocked down 8-of-9 from the free throw line to score a game-high 20 points. Mekayla Lumpkin and Nicole Gwynn each scored 14 points and Rakyha Reid finished with 11 points and four boards.
 
The Lady Bulldogs shot 50% (20-for-39) for the game, including 46% (5-for-11) from beyond the arc. S.C. State also connected on 19-for-21 (91%) from the free throw line.
 
Morgan State dominated the glass, outrebounding the guests 39-20 for the game. The Lady Bears would outscore S.C. State, 23-2 in second chance points and 38-24 in points in the paint. Morgan State also held the advantage in points off turnovers, 23-11 and bench points, 29-3.
 
The Lady Bears, who led 46-32 at the intermission, used an 18-4 run over nearly eight minutes to take their largest lead of the game at 28 points (64-36), following a layup by Maiya Bumbray with 2:02 left in the third quarter.
 
The Lady Bears begin the second half of MEAC play on Saturday, Feb. 11 when they travel to Durham, N.C. to face the North Carolina Central Eagles. Tip off is at 2 p.m. from McDougald-McLendon Arena. The Eagles were a 73-68 overtime winner at Norfolk State on Monday.
 
 
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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.
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