Naya
62
Winner Howard HOW 16-9,9-1 MEAC
53
Morgan St. Morgan 11-14,4-6 MEAC
Winner
Howard HOW
16-9,9-1 MEAC
62
Final
53
Morgan St. Morgan
11-14,4-6 MEAC
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Howard HOW 11 17 25 9 62
Morgan St. Morgan 16 11 14 12 53

Game Recap: Women's Basketball | | Khamani Anderson, MSU Athletics Communications

Morgan State Falls To Rival Howard In Hard-Fought MEAC Matchup

BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 22, 2025)--The Morgan State Lady Bears hosted the Howard University Lady Bison for another Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) showdown. Despite a strong start, the Lady Bears ultimately fell to the visiting Bison, 62-53 on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House.
 
The Lady Bears fell to 11-14 overall and 4-6 in the MEAC with the loss, while Howard improved to 16-9, 9-1 in the MEAC. The Bison, winners of six straight, also extended their winning streak to six straight over Morgan State.
 
Guard Emily Jones set the tone early, draining a three-pointer to give the Bears an early advantage. Jones would score six of Morgan State's first eight points. Fellow guard Gabby Johnson extended the margin by sinking two clutch free throws, making it 14-11, before guard Jala Bannerman capped off the half with a smooth two-pointer, fueling the Bears' momentum, as the hosts held a 16-11 lead at the end of the first quarter.
 
"We just can't have one or two people playing hard while others take a break, but today, I didn't see that. I thought everyone played hard as a team," said Morgan State head coach Ed Davis.
 
Morgan State carried that energy into the second quarter with forward Naya Ojukwu converting a tough layup and completing the and-one opportunity at the free-throw line, giving Morgan a 23-16 lead with 6:56 left in the quarter. Ojukwu would score the next four points to extend the Lady Bears' lead to 27-20 with 5:40 remaining.
 
However, that would be the Lady Bears' last points of the half, as Howard quickly responded, surging ahead to score the final eight points, while holding Morgan State scoreless to take a 28-27 lead at halftime.
 
On the boards, Morgan State held an early edge with eight total rebounds, but Howard dominated the glass, securing 24 rebounds—12 each on offense and defense. By the end of the half, the Lady Bison had added 14 more rebounds, including five offensive boards and nine defensive.
 
"We have a lot of bigs who are ready to battle and sacrifice their bodies. We're all banged up. Every single one of us is dealing with something, but we've got heart," said Ojukwu.
 
With seven minutes left in the third quarter, Howard seized control as Saniyah King knocked down back-to-back three-pointers, pushing the Bison ahead 37-29. Nile Miller knocked down a jumper with 5:42 left in the third to cap off a 25-2 spurt and give the Bison a 45-29 lead.
 
Morgan State fought back and used a 12-1 run to pull within 46-41 after Ojukwu connected on two free throws with 1:45 remaining in the third quarter. However, that would be as close as the Lady Bears would get.
 
Despite the loss, Ojukwu delivered a career performance, finishing with a career- and game-high 29 points, while adding 10 rebounds to record her sixth double-double of the season.
 
"I haven't even processed it yet. Right now, I'm just thinking about how we can get a win as a team," reflected Ojukwu on her performance.
 
Looking ahead, the Lady Bears know what it will take to improve before their next contest.
 
"As a team, we just need to push ourselves to play four full quarters," said Jones.
 
With the MEAC Tournament fast approaching, Davis emphasized the importance of depth and consistency.
 
"You're not going to win a conference tournament or a regular-season championship unless your bench produces," Davis stated.


 
The Lady Bears return to action on Monday, Feb. 24 when they travel to Norfolk, Va. to take on league leader and defending MEAC champion Norfolk State. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. at Echols Hall. The Spartans (23-4, 10-0 MEAC), who are ranked No. 8 in the recent College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 poll, are riding a 12-game winning streak, following their 76-54 win on Saturday at Coppin State.


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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.
 
 
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