Score: Morgan State 78 | Coppin State 60
Location: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Records: Morgan State 11-19, 7-7 | Coppin State 2-26, 1-13
The short story: Will Thomas scored a game-high 25 points and Amahrie Simpkins had 17 points and 10 rebounds, as the Bears ran away with a 78-60 win over crosstown rival Coppin State on Thursday night at Hill Field House.
OPENING TIP
• Thomas, a redshirt-junior from Baltimore, finished with a game-high 25 points on 10-of-20 shooting from the field and was 5-of-6 from the free throw line in 35 minutes. He also had five rebounds and three assists.
• Amahrie Simpkins finished with 17 points (8-12 FG) with 10 rebounds in 36 minutes. Rob Lawson scored 13 points with four rebounds and four assists.
• Junior 6-foot-10 forward Allen Udemadu collected his seventh double-double of the season as he finished with 12 points (6-10 FG) and pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds with four blocked shots in 37 minutes.
• Malik Battle led the way for the Eagles with 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
• Justin Winston added 11 points (4-16 FG), while Ryan Archey added 10 points with three assists.
THE DIFFERENCE
• Morgan connected on 51 percent (32-62) of their shots from the field and shot 2-of-11 from 3-point territory. Meanwhile, the Eagles shot 30 percent from the field and connected on 7 of 23 3-pointers.
• Morgan shot .688 (11-16) from the free throw line, compared to Coppin's 66.7 percent (12-18).
• The Bears held a 45-39 advantage on the boards.
• Morgan outscored the Eagles in the paint by a 44-20 margin.
• It was a back-and-forth affair throughout most of the first half before Malik Battle scored on a fastbreak to cut Morgan's lead and head into the intermission trailing 34-32.
• Allen Udemadu opened the second half scoring with a dunk and setting the tone for the rest of the half. Amahrie Simpkins scored on a fast break to give the Bears a 40-32 lead with 16:36 remaining.
• With a 10-4 run, the Eagles managed to close the gap and bring the score to 44-42 with 14 minutes remaining.
• Will Thomas stepped up and made a crucial layup, igniting a 16-9 run for the Bears. Thomas wasn't done yet, as he also assisted Simpkins on another basket, giving the Bears a comfortable 60-49 lead with 8 minutes left in the game.
• Morgan's dominance on the court was undeniable as they continued to extend their lead. With only a few minutes left in the game, they showed no signs of slowing down. The crowd erupted in cheers as Thomas sank a jumper, pushing their lead to a whopping 20 points. The energy in Hill Field House was electric as the Bears would go on to wrap the regular season finale with a win over their crosstown rivals.
NOTABLE
• The Bears will enter the MEAC Tournament riding a 2-game win streak and swept the season series with Coppin State.
• Morgan's home record improved to 8-5 this season.
• The Bears improved to 6-4 when leading at halftime.
• Tonight marked the 104th meeting between the schools … The Eagles lead the series 63-41.
• Morgan State improved to 11-19 on the season, and finished 7-7 in conference action.
• Will Thomas has scored in double figures 19 times, including nine games with 20 or more points.
• It was Coppin State's 12-straight loss of the season.
MEAC TOURNAMENT | Bracket
The No. 5 seeded Morgan State will battle the No. 4-seeded Howard Thursday, March 14th in the quarterfinals of the MEAC Tournament. Tip is slated for 6:00 p.m. at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
The 2024 MEAC Basketball Tournament is a single-elimination tournament featuring both the conference men's and women's teams. The quarterfinal and semifinal games will be streamed live on ESPN+. The men's finale will begin at 1 p.m. and will broadcast live on ESPN2.
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
Twitter: @MorganStBears
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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.
