Score: Morgan State 88 | North Carolina Central 79
Location: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Records: Morgan State 10-19, 6-7 | North Carolina Central 16-12, 8-5
The short story: Will Thomas scored 24 of his career-high 30 points in the second half, Amahrie Simpkins had 20 points and eight rebounds, as the Bears recorded an 88-79 win over North Carolina Central on Monday night at Hill Field House.
OPENING TIP
• Thomas, a redshirt-junior from Baltimore, finished with a game and career-high 30 points on 9-of-17 shooting from the field and was 12-of-14 from the free throw line in 31 minutes. He also had six rebounds and two assists.
• Amahrie Simpkins finished with a season-high 20 points (7-8 FG) with eight rebounds, three steals and a block. Kamron Hobbs scored 16 points and connected on 6-of-13 shots, including eight rebounds and two assists.
• Junior 6-foot-10 forward Allen Udemadu collected his sixth double-double of the season as he finished with 10 points (5-8 FG) and ripped down10 rebounds in 35 minutes.
• Senior point guard Fred Cleveland Jr. scored 16 of his team-high 27 points in the second half, including six assists and five rebounds in 40 minutes.
• Keishon Porter added 11 points (3-10 FG), while Po'Boigh King added 10 points with three boards.
THE DIFFERENCE
• Morgan connected on 50 percent (32-63) of their shots from the field and shot 3-of-14 from 3-point territory. Meanwhile, the Eagles shot 44 percent from the field and connected on 9 of 28 3-pointers.
• Morgan shot .840 (21-25) from the free throw line, compared to NCCU's 66.7 percent (18-27).
• The Bears held a commanding 43-29 advantage on the boards, including a 16-13 advantage on the offensive glass.
• Morgan outscored the Eagles in the paint by a 40-30 margin.
• It was a back-and-forth affair throughout most of the first half before Fred Cleveland Jr. setup Cobey Harraway for a corner 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 35-32 halftime advantage.
• Amahrie Simpkins was able to score off an assist by Thomas, giving the Bears a boost and setting the tone for the rest of the half. The Bears went on a 17-4 run. With just under 14 minutes remaining in the game, Thomas hit his second jumper of the half, extending the Bears' lead to 52-41.
• Simpkins continued to play a key role in the team's success, hitting a pair of free throws to give the Bears their largest lead of the night at 65-49 with 8:57 remaining. From there, the Bears cruised to their first victory since a home win against Maryland Eastern Shore (70-65) on Feb. 17.
NOTABLE
• The Bears snapped a 4-game losing skid and swept the season series with NCCU.
• Morgan's home record improved to 7-5 this season.
• The Bears improved to 4-14 when trailing at halftime.
• Tonight marked the 99th meeting between the schools … NCCU leads the series 56-43.
• Morgan State improved to 10-19 on the season, 6-7 in conference action.
• Will Thomas has scored in double figures 18 times, including eight games with 20 or more points.
LOOKING AHEAD
Morgan has a short turnaround as the team prepares to host crosstown rival Coppin State Eagles (2-25, 1-12) to complete their series on Thursday, March 7. Tip time is 7:30 p.m. at Hill Field House.
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.
• Follow us on social media:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, 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.
