image via the MEAC
Courtesy of Kylon LewisStrategic Communications Intern Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC)
Fifth-seeded Morgan State built a commanding 15-point lead late in the game but needed a clutch driving layup by Kameron Hobbs with 9.2 seconds remaining to escape with a 91-90 victory over fourth-seeded Howard in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s basketball quarterfinals Thursday night at the Norfolk Scope Arena.
Hobbs, whose jumper at the 2:52 mark put the Bears ahead 86-71, finished with a game-high 33 points and seven rebounds in the dramatic win.
The Bears seemed to have the game in hand, but Howard mounted a furious 19-3 run in the final minutes, fueled by MEAC Player of the Year, Blake Harper. The Bison stormed back and took a 90-89 lead when Jaren Johnson buried a three-pointer with 16.1 seconds left. Harper had seven of his 28 points during the late surge, capitalizing on Morgan State turnovers to nearly complete the comeback.
Following Johnson’s go-ahead basket, Morgan State called timeout to set up a final play. Hobbs took the inbound pass from Rob Lawson, sliced through the defense, and finished a layup to put the Bears back on top with 9.2 seconds to play. Howard raced down the court and had two chances at the basket in the final seconds, but the ball was batted around as time expired, sealing the win for Morgan State.
Morgan State (15-17) avenged two close regular-season losses to the Bison and knocked off the two-time defending MEAC champions in the process. Head Coach Kevin Broadus emphasized the significance of the win, saying, “To win a championship, you have to go through the champions. There’s no better script for us.”
Along with Hobbs’ stellar performance, the Bears got 14 points each from Daniel Akitoby who fouled out with 2:17 remaining and Will Thomas. Amahrie Simpkins added nine points and tied Hobbs for the team lead in rebounds with seven.
Howard (12-20) had five players in double figures, led by Harper’s 28 points. Cameron Shockley-Okeke added 17, Anwar Gill had 15, Marcus Dockery chipped in 12, and Johnson finished with 11. Calvin Robins Jr. led Howard with 10 rebounds, while Shockley-Okeke grabbed six.
The Bison started strong, jumping out to a 14-6 lead before Morgan State battled back. The Bears took their first lead at 23-21 on a putback by Simpkins with 10:05 left in the first half. The teams traded the lead four times before Howard took a narrow 41-40 advantage into halftime.
Morgan State shot 37.2% from the field, nearly identical to Howard’s 37.5%, but the Bears were more efficient from beyond the arc, hitting 8-of-14 (57.1%) compared to Howard’s 9-of-24 (37.5%). The teams were evenly matched on the glass, with Morgan State holding a slight 37-36 rebounding edge.
With the victory, Morgan State advances to face top-seeded Norfolk State on Friday, March 14, at 6 p.m., with a trip to the MEAC Championship game at stake.
