title image via Howard Basketball
Courtesy of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference
NORFOLK, VA– Bryce Harris scored 28 points and grabbed nine rebounds, both game highs, and Jordan Hairston added 17 points and six boards to power third-seeded Howard to a 78-65 win over sixth-seeded Morgan State Thursday in quarterfinal action of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) at The Scope.
The Bison, who improved to 16-16 on the season, will face top-seeded Norfolk State in Friday’s semifinals at 6 p.m.
Morgan State got 27 points on 11-21 shooting from the field from Will Thomas, however, he was the lone Bear player in double figures. Kamron Hobbsand Rob Lawson added nine points each for the Bears, who ended their year at 11-20.
Morgan trailed 40-31 at the half before chipping away at the Bison lead and closing to within 52-50 when reserve Christian Oliver got inside for a basket with 16:06 to play. But Howard, behind the play of Marcus Dockery went on a 13-0 run to build a 65-50 lead and take control of the contest with 7:31 to play. Dockery, who finished with 13 points had eight of his total – including two 3-pointers – during the run.
The Bears got a three-point play from Allen Udemadu and two free throws from Wynston Tabbs to come to within 10 points, 65-55, with just under seven minutes on the clock, but 7-2 Bison run pushed the lead to 74-57 with 4:35 remaining and Howard went on to secure the victory.
Morgan State connected on 24-52 attempts for the field for a 46.2 shooting percentage, while the Bison hit 26-58 for a 44.8 accuracy, however Howard enjoyed a 38-28 advantage on the boards. The Bears led the play inside with 40 points in the paint to just 30 for the Bison.
In a spirited first half that was close for thirteen minutes, there were five ties and three lead changes between the two schools that sit approximately 40 miles apart.
Harris, an All MEAC first-team selection, had 15 points for the Bison on 6-12 shooting from the field, including a 3-6 effort from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes, while Hairston added 13 to lift Howard to a 40-31 cushion at the break. Morgan State’s Thomas was also in double figures at the break after nailing 14 points in the period.
The two teams split their regular season meetings with each winning on its home court.
