NORFOLK, Virginia (January 24, 2022) –Three players scored in double figures, helping Norfolk State edge Morgan State, 82-62, Monday night at Echols Hall.
The Spartans controlled the second half as they improved to 14-4 on the season and topped the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings with a 5-0 record.
Norfolk was led by Joe Bryant who scored 18 points (11-12 FT) with six assists and five rebounds, while Christian Ings scored 18 points with four assists and Jalen Hawkins added 18 of 5 for 10 shooting.
Morgan (6-10, 1-3) was limited to 31 percent (22-70) shooting from the floor, was just 5 of 30 from 3-point territory and passed by a 43 margin -37.
Lake Grantsaan paced the Bears with 14 points (5-11 FG) with nine rebounds and three assists. Chad Venning added 10 points (5-10 FG) with four boards and a blocked shot. De’Torrion Ware and Isaiah Burke chipped at nine points each.
The Spartans totaled 22 points in the paint and edged the Bears by a 47-29 margin in the second half.
Norfolk held a 35-33 half-time lead but exploded in the second stanza. Hawkins knocked down a pair of threes on a quick 9-0 run to give the Spartans a 44-33 lead with 17:52 remaining.
Bryant converted a 3-point play and fed Kris Bankston (9 pts, 8 rebs, 2 blks) for an alley-oop dunk to extend the lead to 56-38. seventh wood responded with a quick slam to end a 5-minute drought by the Bears.
A pull up by Isaiah Burke with just under 9 minutes to go, it was only the Bears’ third field goal in the second half, trailing 63-42.
The Spartans quickly took a 10-3 lead. Chad Venning scored on a short hook from the baseline to bring the Bears into the game. De’Torrion Ware finished a 3-point game and a 3-pointer from Burke was part of an 8-0 run to take an 11-10 lead.
The game was tied at 13-13 when the Spartans raced 11-1 to take a 22-13 lead.
Morgan went without a basket for 4 minutes before Woods knocked down a 3-pointer at 9:56. Chad Venning scored with a pair of baskets inside the paint to cut the lead to 22-20. A 3-pointer from Ware gave the Bears a 23-22 lead in a 9-0 run.
Inge broke a 3-minute drought with an inside basket to regain the lead at 24-23. The match remained tight in the last minutes of the half.
Bankston sent Inge in for a dunk with 5 seconds left, before Burke was fouled and split a pair of free throws to cut the Spartans’ lead to 35-33 at intermission.
FOLLOWING :
Morgan State and Delaware State will square off for the first time this season on Saturday, Jan. 29, at 4 p.m. inside Hill Field House.
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to track MSU athletics in line and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official Bears Athletics website, for news, schedules, stats, biographies and more.
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-ranked advanced research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees ranging from bachelor’s to doctoral degrees. As Maryland’s preeminent public urban research university and the only university to have its entire campus designated 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 people as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.
