BALTIMORE, Md. (March 3, 2024)--North Carolina Central's Kimeira Burks knocked down five three-pointers and finished with a game-high 19 points, while adding a game-high 12 rebounds to record a double-double, as the visiting Eagles defeated Morgan State, 63-58 on Monday evening at Hill Field House.
 
The win helped the Eagles improve to 14-14 overall and 8-5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and sweep the season series. Morgan Callahan finished with 15 points, eight rebounds and had a game-high four steals, while Aniya Finger came off the bench to add 12 pints on 4-of-6 shooting and 4-for-4 from the free throw line.
 
A year after setting the school record for most home victories in a season after going 11-2, Morgan State (8-20, 3-10 MEAC) fell to 5-7 at home this season and will suffer its first losing home record since going 6-7 during the 2018-19 season. The five wins are tied as the lowest home victories total at Hill Field House since the 2016-17 campaign when that squad finished 5-6 at home.   
 
Sedayjha Payne led Morgan State with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting and tallied a game-high four steals and had three rebounds. Tamaria Rumph came off the bench to score 11 points and dished out a game-high four assists. Laila Fair finished with a team-high seven rebounds to do with 10 points in a reserve role.
 
NCCU increased its lead to 57-48 with 3:39 to play in the contest, when Morgan State put together one final run. Behind its defense the Lady Bears recorded three straight steals which Payned turned into baskets in part of an 8-0 run to bring the hosts within 57-56 with 1:44 to play.
 
But Finger would end Morgan's run on a layup with 1:29 left to play, as the Eagles closed out the game with a 7-2 run to secure the victory.
 
Morgan State outrebounded the Eagles 43-33. The Lady Bears would force 29 turnovers out of NCCU, which they turned into 29 points.
 
Morgan State raced out to an 8-2 advantage and the guests responded with an 11-2 spurt to close out the opening period and take a 15-11 lead after one quarter of play and never trailed in the game again. The Eagles used a 13-6 run to close out the second quarter and took a 25-25 lead into the locker room.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will close out the regular season on Thursday, March 7 against rival Coppin State at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House for Senior Night, Corporate Night and AD Honor Roll recognition. The Lady Bears will honor its seniors prior to the game.
 
Coppin State (10-17, 7-6 MEAC) enters the game coming off a 65-33 victory at home over South Carolina State on Monday. The win ended a four-game losing skid. Angel Jones scored a game-high 18 points, while Faith Blackstone added 16 to lead the Eagles past the Bulldogs. Laila Lawrence grabbed a game-high eight rebounds and had a game-high seven steals.

2024 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2024 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 13-16, 2024 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. The annual MEAC Basketball Tournament moved to Norfolk in 2013 after spending the previous four years in Winston-Salem, N.C. from 2009 through 2012.
 
 
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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