FAIRFIELD, Conn. (Dec. 5, 2024)—Ja'la Bannerman scored a team-high 17 points and Jael Butler added 16, but it wasn't enough, as the Lady Bears fell on the road to Sacred Heart, 77-57 on Thursday evening at William Pitt Center.
 
Morgan State fell to 4-7 on the season and has now dropped a season-high four straight games. The Pioneers improved to 4-7 with the win.
 
Ny'Ceara Pryor scored a game-high 24 points and added seven boards, five assists and three steals to lead the Pioneers, who improved to 2-0 all-time against Morgan State. Emma Kirby tallied 12 points and seven boards, while Nalyce Dudley came off the bench to score 13 points and record four steals.
 
Amelia Wood recorded a game-high 12 rebounds, all on the defensive end, to help Sacred Heart hold a 54-31 rebounding advantage over the Lady Bears.
 
Bogans hit a three-pointer with 3:09 remaining in the second quarter to bring the Lady Bears within 31-28. However, the hosts would respond by scoring the next seven points, in the midst of a 9-2 spurt to close out the quarter and take a 40-30 lead into the locker room.
 
Sacred Heart took its largest lead of the game (22 points) when Esther Kursite scored on a layup and added the free throw to give the Pioneers a 64-42 advantage with 2:48 to play in the third.
 
Sacred Heart finished the game shooting 32-of-71 (45%) and was 5-of-18 (27.8%) from beyond the three-point arc, while connecting on 10-of-14 (71%) from the charity stripe.
 
Morgan State shot 20-of-56 (36%) for the game, including 2-for-10 (20%) from three-point range. The Lady Bears also shot 57.7% (15-of-26) at the free throw line.
 
Laila Fair, who was returning to the floor for the first time since suffering an injury during Morgan's win over Washington Adventist (11/20), totaled six points, five rebounds, three steals and a block.
 
Morgan State will travel to New Britain, Conn. to take on Central Connecticut State on Saturday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m.
 
 
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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.