Score: Morgan State 60 | Norfolk State 69
Location: Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall, Norfolk, Va.
Records: Morgan State 11-16, 5-6 | Norfolk State 20-8, 10-1
The short story:  Five Spartans scored in double-figures in a 69-60 win against Morgan State on Monday night at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall. 
 

OPENING TIP

• Christian Ings led the Spartans with 12 points on 5-for 10 shooting from the field and had three rebounds. Jalen Moore (11), Terrence Jones (11), Chris Fields Jr. (11) and Jalen Myers (10) also scored double-figures.
• Kuluel Mading grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds and finished with two blocked shots.
• Kameron Hobbs paced the Bears with a game-high 20 points (4-7 3FG) with five rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes.
• Daniel Akitoby was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week earlier today.  He not only anchored the defense with two crucial blocks, but also contributed significantly on the offensive end, netting 17 points. 
• Will Thomas was held well below his scoring average as he finished with 6 points on 2-for-12 shooting.

THE DIFFERENCE

• Morgan connected on 34 percent (21-61) of their shots from the field and shot 4-of-12 from 3-point territory. Meanwhile, the Spartans shot 39 percent from the field and connected on 5 of 18 3-pointers.
• Morgan shot .778 (14-18) from the free throw line, compared to NSU's 73 percent (8-11).
​​​​​​​• NSU dominated the boards where they held a commending 52-32 advantage, including a 25-13 advantage on the offensive glass.
​​​​​​​• The Spartans scored 38 points inside the paint compared to Morgan's 30 points.
​​​​​​​• The game was tied at 5-5 before the Spartans took their first lead of the night on a layup by Kuluel Mading.  Terrence Jones provided a spark for the Spartans, nailing a crucial 3-pointer that ignited a 10-4 scoring surge.  The run was punctuated by another 3-pointer, this time courtesy of Brian Moore, which extended the Spartans' lead to a comfortable 24-16 advantage with under 8 minutes left in the first half.
​​​​​​​• The Bears found themselves trailing Norfolk, but a late surge injected a dose of momentum into their game. A 12-6 scoring run in the final moments of the first half allowed them to claw back into contention. Will Thomas hit a pair of free-throws with just 1.3 seconds remaining on the clock, securing his first points of the game and, more importantly, shrinking Norfolk's lead to 30-28 as the buzzer sounded for halftime.
​​​​​​​• The Spartans opened the 2nd half outscoring the Bears 7-3 and held a 36-29 lead.
​​​​​​​• Kameron Hobbs provided a spark for the Bears, refusing to let them fall behind significantly. His third triple of the night was a timely one, cutting the deficit to just four points at 40-36 with 14:57 left on the clock.
​​​​​​​• However, the Spartans responded, fueled by a six-point contribution from Moore. Moore's scoring surge helped propel the Spartans to a double-digit lead, extending their advantage to 53-43 with under 10 minutes to play.
​​​​​​​• The pressure for Norfolk was mounting as Hobbs and Martin connected for an alley-oop, and Akitoby followed with a smooth mid-range jumper, further chipping away at the deficit and bringing the score to a tense 58-51 with just over five minutes to play. Thomas then capitalized on a missed shot, and scored on a putback, narrowing the gap to 58-53. However, Terrence Jones responded by sinking a clutch three-pointer from the corner, restoring a valuable eight-point cushion.
​​​​​​​• Ings put an exclamation point on a dominant Spartans performance, delivering a late-game surge that electrified the crowd. First, he cut through the lane and rose above Akitoby for a dunk that excited the crowd. Not content with just one highlight-reel play, Ings followed up moments later with a windmill dunk, putting the game firmly out of reach and sending the Spartans faithful into a frenzy.
 

WHAT AWAITS

• Looking ahead, Morgan will need to regroup before their next contest against Maryland Eastern Shore on March 1st in Princess Anne, Maryland.

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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.