Jan. 31, 2009

Box Score

PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Morgan State's Reggie Holmes had a game-high 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting to lead the Bears over the University of Maryland Eastern Shore, 87-52, at the William P. Hytche Athletic Center Saturday.

Morgan State (11-10, 6-2 MEAC) controlled the game throughout, never trailed and dropped UMES to 6-13 overall and 2-5 in conference play.

Rodney Stokes (16) and Marquise Kately (14) were the other Bears in double figures as MSU was red-hot from the start. The visitors shot 61.4 percent on 35-of-57 from the floor for the game.

Neal Pitt (Fort Washington, Md.) led the Hawks with 10 points, while Tyler Hines (Sicklerville, N.J.) and Marc Davis (Baltimore, Md.) pulled down four rebounds apiece.

"We just didn't play at the beginning [of the game], gave them the necessary momentum and just ran into a juggernaut," said UMES head coach Frankie Allen. "Once we let them control the game right from the opening tip, the opening play of the game, they got a couple of easy baskets ... it just knocked us all out of sorts."

Morgan opened the game with the first eight points over 2:26. Kately scored back-to-back buckets to get his team off to a solid start.

Rogers Barnes' 3-pointer gave MSU a 10-point lead at 16-6 with 15:17 to go in the half. Senior Gary Lee (Flint, Mich) knocked down 1-of-2 free throws and Pitt drained a three from the right right wing to cut the lead to 16-10 with 14:45 left. That was as close as UMES got the rest of the night.

The Bears held UMES to just 10 points for the remainder of half, leading 54-20, heading into the locker room. The 54 points were the most surrendered by the Hawks in a single half this season.

UMES shot just 31.8 percent in the first half compared to 69 percent for MSU.

A Hines free throw with 3:32 left in the game made it a 79-48 game with 3:32 left, the closest the hosts got in the second half. UMES was only outscored by one, 33-32, in the final 20 minutes, though.

Morgan converted 22 UMES turnovers into 35 points. The Bears had an advantage in points in the paint, 30-16, and on the glass, 35-28. Each team's bench scored 21 points.

"I think our guys have got to realize how hard you've got to play and what you've to do to compete with the top part of this league," Allen said. "Once they got rolling, we were just overwhelmed, [taking] two or three timeouts didn't make any difference."

UMES is back in action Monday at home against Coppin State in a game televised on ESPNU at 7 p.m.