Score: Morgan State 58 | Delaware State 80
Location: Memorial Hall, Baltimore, Md.
Records: Morgan State 9-16, 5-4 | Delaware State 12-13, 5-4
The short story: Deywilk Tavarez scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Hornets to an 80-58 victory against Morgan State in front of a packed house at Memorial Hall.
OPENING TIP
• Freshman guard Deywilk Taverez led the Hornets with a game-high 21 points on 8-for 11 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point territory in 24 minutes.
• Baltimore product Martaz Robinson had a double-double by finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds, to go along with three steals and three assists.
• Jevin Muniz, a 6-foot-6 sophomore guard from Bethlehem, Pa., had 14 points (5-9 FG) and six assists, while Alston Andrews added 11 points and 11 boards with four steals.
• Kamron Hobbs and Will Thomas led the Bears with 11 points and three assists apiece.
• Wynston Tabbs, who entered the night as the MEAC's No. 3 leading scorer (16.4 ppg), was held to 8 points (2-12 FG) and was 0-for-7 from the three.
THE DIFFERENCE
• Morgan connected on 36.4 percent (20-55) of their shots from the field and shot 4-of-18 from 3-point territory. Meanwhile, the Hornets shot 52 percent from the field and connected on 5 of 11 3-pointers.
• Morgan shot .875 (14-16) from the free throw line, compared to DSU's 70 percent (21-30).
• DSU dominated the boards where they held a commending 35-20 advantage, including a 10-7 advantage on the offensive glass.
• The Hornets scored 21 points off of forcing10 Morgan turnovers.
• The Hornets started the second half scoring on their first two possessions to take a 52-25 lead. However, the Bears were determined to get back in the game and their offense finally started clicking. Hobbs, who had been relatively quiet in the first half, hit two crucial 3-pointers and assisted Thomas on a fastbreak, contributing to a 14-3 run that brought the Bears within 14 points.
• As the clock ticked under 11 minutes, the Bears trailed 57-43 and the momentum began shifting. Unfortunately, the Bears were dealt a blow when Udemadu picked up his fourth foul and had to be benched. To make matters worse, Christian Oliver was strapped with his fourth foul soon after. But the Bears didn't give up and continued to fight.
• The Bears managed to trim the lead to 12 points thanks to a basket from Will Thomas and a free throw from a foul. But the Hornets were not going to let up and Tavarez banked in a 3-pointer to put them up 69-54. The Bears quickly responded with a 3-pointer of their own, but still trailed 69-57.
• As the game entered the final stretch, the Hornets held a 73-57 lead at the last media break with 3:46 remaining and would go on to seal their series against the Bears with an 80-58 win.
NOTABLE
• Monday's contest will marked the 112th meeting between the schools ... The Bears lead the series 66-46.
• The Bears 3-1 in the month of February.
• Morgan's road record dropped to 3-10 this season.
• The game was brought to a halt with 2:55 left on the clock when Morgan sophomore Kiran Oliver went down after being hit in the head by an inadvertent elbow from his own teammate, Allen Udemadu. Oliver was carefully placed on a stretcher and taken to a nearby hospital for further evaluation.
LOOKING AHEAD (SATURDAY, FEB. 24)
Morgan will travel to the Nation's Capital to complete their series against the Howard Bison (11-15, 5-4) on Saturday, Feb. 24. Tip time is 4 p.m. at The Burr Gymnasium.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more.
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Facebook: /MorganStateBears
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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.
