Score: Morgan State 92 | North Carolina Central 78
Location: McDougald-McLendon Arena, Durham, N.C.
Records: Morgan State 11-14, 5-4 | North Carolina Central 11-15, 4-5
The short story:  Morgan State rallied against North Carolina Central, overcoming a 13-point deficit to secure a dominant 92-78 win. The Bears' offensive firepower was on full display, spearheaded by the dynamic duo of Kameron Hobbs and Will Thomas, who combined for an impressive 47 points to take down the Eagles inside McDougald-McLendon Arena.
 

OPENING TIP

• Kameron Hobbs led the Bears with a game-high 24 points and shot an efficient 9-for-16 from the field, including 5-for-5 from the free throw line...He also had a game-high eight assists with two steals in 37 minutes. 
• Will Thomas recorded 23 points (8-14 FG) and was 4-for-4 from the stripe in 23 minutes. Rob Lawson added 12 points (3-6 FG) with four assists.
• Daniel Akitoby recorded his sixth double-double of the season by registering 14 points and 11 rebounds to go along with a game-high three blocked shots. 
• Perry Smith Jr. paced the Eagles with 19 points (6-11 FG) and 12 boards. Floyd Rideau Jr. added 15 points (4-7 3FG), while Po'Boigh King finished with 13 points on 4-for-15 shooting from the floor.

THE DIFFERENCE

• Morgan State shot 57 percent (35-61) from the field, including 33 percent (5-15) from 3-point territory. The Eagles shot  42 percent (27-64) from the floor and was 11-for-29 from behind the arc.
• At the free-throw line, Morgan converted 94% (17-18) compared to NCCU's 56% (13-23).
• Morgan outscored the Eagles by a commanding 46-30 margin in the paint and held a 14-9 advantage in fastbreak points.
• The Eagles soared to an early advantage at "The Nest" and established a 15-5 lead while Morgan struggled to find their footing. 
• The Eagles' early game plan was clear: dominate inside. The consistent interior pressure translated to a comfortable advantage on the scoreboard as they pushed their lead to 19-7 with nearly 15 minutes remaining in the first half. Leading the charge for the Eagles was Perry Smith Jr. who contributing 11 points during the early going.
• The Bears' offense, initially sluggish, finally found its rhythm midway through the first half, sparking a crucial 9-2 run that breathed life into their comeback hopes. s they outscored the Eagles during a 9-2 stretch.This surge was punctuated by key plays, including a timely three-pointer from Rob Lawson, followed by a dunk by Daniel Akitoby, further chipping away at the Eagles' lead and bringing the score to 24-20. 
• Hobbs lofted the perfect alley-oop pass, where Trent Edwards soared to meet it for a smooth finish, sending the Bears into the lead for the first time all game at 32-31. NCCU immediately called a timeout with 6:29 remaining hoping to regroup. 
• The Bears used a 7-0 run as Kameron Hobbs dished to Will Thomas for a fastbreak layup, followed by another dime to Thomas for a transition 3-pointer to push the lead to 39-34. A powerful dunk by Smith narrowed the gap at halftime, but the Eagles still found themselves trailing the Bears 43-40. 
• NCCU's Po'Boigh King ignited the team and the crowd with a powerful breakaway dunk, punctuating a 6-2 surge that leveled the score at 46-46. However, the Bears quickly regrouped and answered emphatically. Fueled by offensive rebounds and a powerful inside game of their own, they orchestrated a decisive 12-3 run. Akitoby capped off the run with a dominant putback and a thunderous dunk, swinging the momentum firmly in the Bears' favor and establishing a commanding 57-46 lead with 15:31 remaining in the game.
• Facing a double-digit deficit, NCCU finally found their offensive rhythm. A timely three-pointer ignited a  7-0 run to whittle down the Bears lead to a more manageable 69-64 with 8:30 left on the clock.
• Hobbs and Thomas proved to be the spark plugs the team needed late in the game. Their combined efforts fueled a decisive 15-3 run that effectively sealed the victory. 
  

NOTABLE

• With the win, Morgan has narrowed the gap against NCCU, bringing the series record to 56-44 in favor of the Eagles. 
• With the win, the Bears completed the regular season series sweep against the Eagles
• Morgan posted its first road win of the season.
• The win improves Morgan's position in the conference standings, as they now hold a to 5-4 record in league play.
• Kameron Hobbs has scored at least 20 points in 10 games this season.
• Will Thomas has scored 355 points so far this season, bringing his career total to 1,088 points… surpassing Phillip Carr (2015-18) for the No. 21 spot on Morgan's all-time scoring list.

WHAT AWAITS

• The Bears return to action on Saturday, Feb. 22 against the Howard Bison. Tip-off inside Hill Field House is set for 4 p.m.

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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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.