Title image via Jalisa Fulwood
Courtesy of MEAC Media Relations
44
Morgan
49
Winner HOW
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan | 15 | 9 | 5 | 15 | 44 |
| HOW | 15 | 11 | 13 | 10 | 49 |
NORFOLK, VA – No 2. Howard University Bison defeated the No.7 Morgan State Bears in game two of the quarter finals in the 2024 MEAC Basketball Tournament, for a final score of 49-44. Second team all-conference member Iyanna Warren lead all players with 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and two steals for the Bison. Kaniyah Harris was the second leading scorer for Howard with ten points and shot three of five from the field. Third team all-conference member Kaiya Kreek finished with nine points and five rebounds, while all-defensive team member and third team all-conference awardee Nile Miller contributed five points and a team high nine rebounds.
Joelle Johnson was the leading scorer for the Bears, with a team high 14 points, shooting six for ten from the field. Amari Smith finished with eight points and six rebounds, while MEAC all-rookie team member Tamaria Rumph tallied five points and seven boards. Laila Fair lead all players with ten rebounds and three steals.
As a team, Morgan outnumbered Howard across the boards. The Bears won the rebounding match with the Bison, with team 45 rebounds to the Bison’s 34. Morgan also had an advantage over Howard in made field-goals, along with assists totaled. The game came down to free throws as the Bison shot 23 of 32 from the stripe compared to Morgans 10-15. Howard also converted 20 points off 18 turnovers from Morgan and tallied 10 steals as a team. After early lead exchanges, the teams tied at 15-15 to close the first quarter. The Bison went on an 8-0 run at the start of the second quarter. A lay-up by Joelle Johnson from Morgan brought a 26-26 tie to open the second half. Kreek went on a 5-0 run alone as part of an eight-point Bison lead. Howard took their largest lead of the game at the start of the fourth quarter (41-29). The Bear’s Smith and Johnson went on a 5-0 run to deflate the Bison lead, making it a five point game (43-38) with 1:31 left to play. Warren hit two free throws before Rumph knocked down a free throw with 34 seconds remaining to bring a four point game (45-41). Howard sunk three straight free throws to maintain a margin. Johnson hit a three in the final five seconds, but that was not enough for Morgan to make a comeback, as Howard pulled away with a 49-44 victory.
Next Game: vs. MEAC Tournament (Semifinals) 3/15/2024 | 2 P.M.
Team Statistics
| Game Stats | Morgan | HOW |
|---|---|---|
| FG% | .273 | .267 |
| 3FG% | .222 | .143 |
| FT% | .667 | .719 |
| RB | 45 | 34 |
| TO | 18 | 12 |
| STL | 5 | 10 |
