GREENSBORO, N.C. (Nov. 20, 2024) — An early double-digit deficit and clutch baskets down the stretch from North Carolia A&T proved to be too much for Morgan State to overcome in an 86-83 road loss at Corbett Sports Center.
Ryan Forrest paced the Aggies with a game-high 33 points (9-15 FG), while bigman Nikolaos Chitikoudis had 13 pioints, nine rebounds and five blocks.
Morgan star guard Wynston Tabbs finished with 16 points to lead four Bears in double-figures. The graduate student shot 5 of 15 from the field, but missed all six of his long range attempts.
Ahmarie Simpkins scored 14 points (7-12 FG) with five rebounds, while Kiran Oliver added 13 points and seven boards, and Kameron Hobbs scored 12 points with four assists off the bench.
In terms of perimeter defense, the Aggies limited the Bears to shooting a dismal 3 of 15 from three-point range.
But with the jumpers not falling, Morgan made a concerted effort to attack the rim.
The Bears (3-3, 0-0 MEAC) matched a season-high by making 35 two-point shots on 73 attempts (48%). The ended up outscoring the Aggies inside the paint by a 54-36 margin and scored 22 fastbreak points.
Morgan roared back from an 11-point deficit — down 44-33 at halftime — to trim A&T's lead to single digits in the opening 10 minutes of the second half. A jumper by Simpkins and a layup by Daniel Akitoby cut the lead to 65-60.
Free throws were a bit of an issue for the Aggies, who finished 21 of 35 (60%) at the line. Meanwhile, Morgan shot 22 of 41 from the field in the second half.
Will Felton scored on a dunk to extend the Aggies' lead to 15 (77-62) with 7:37 remaining, but the Bears still had plenty of fight left.
The Aggies (3-2, 0-0 CAA) watched their double-digit lead evaporate late in the game as Amahrie Simpkins sparked 12-1 run by the Bears. Kiran Oliver punctuated the run with a dunk to cut the lead to 78-74 with just over 3 minutes remaining.
Will Thomas was fouled on a tip-in and completed the 3-point play to trim the lead to 80-77 with under 3 minutes to go. The Aggies responded when a two-handed dunk by Chitikoudis gave his team a 5-point cushion.
In a thrilling conclusion that had fans on the edge of their seats, Landon Glasper's turnover proved pivotal in the game's final moments. With just 37 seconds remaining, Rob Lawson seized the opportunity, sprinting down the court for a layup that trimmed the deficit to 84-81.
The Aggies regained composure and set out to seal their victory. Jahnathan Lamothe's subsequent 3-point attempt missed its mark, but Jalal Mckie was in position for a putback layup that brought the score to 86-81 with only 8 seconds left on the clock. Will Thomas' shot with 4 seconds was blocked by Chitikoudis and tipped in by Oliver for the final points of the night, but it wasn't enough to change the outcome. The final whistle blew with the scoreboard reading 86-83.
The Bears will have a short turnaround when they head north to take on the University of Buffalo (2-3, 0-0 MAC) on Friday night as part of the Buffalo Classic. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. at Alumni Arena.
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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.
