Morgan State received a gift Saturday when South Carolina State upset Norfolk State, enabling the Bears to move into sole possession of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference following their 64-59 victory against Howard.
But now, Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman hopes his team isn?t in a giving mood. The Bears have three games remaining and one loss ?beginning with tonight?s game at 7:30 against Hampton at Hill Field House ? gives Norfolk State the opportunity to regain the inside track for the regular season title.
The Bears? performance against the Bison worried Bozeman, as he watched his team almost squander a 25-point lead in the second half, largely because it made just 12-of-32 attempts from the free-throw line.
“That?s just not the way we want to finish games,” he said. “We just had this happen against FAMU. I?m trying to get the guys to finish out games and not start celebrating or relaxing. We have the potential to do something special here, but the players have to want it.”
Morgan State (17-9, 11-2) has a one-game lead over Norfolk State (14-11, 10-3) and a two-game lead over Delaware State (12-13, 9-4) with three games remaining. The Bears, however, lose the tie-breaker against Norfolk State since the Spartans defeated Morgan State, 71-69, on Jan. 14. After facing Hampton (15-10, 8-4), which is in fourth place following the Pirates 72-55 loss at Coppin State (10-19, 5-8), the Bears play at Delaware State on Saturday before concluding the regular season against Coppin State on March 6 at Hill Field House.
The regular season champion earns an automatic berth into the National Invitation Tournament if it fails to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament by winning the conference tournament. Morgan State hasn?t qualified for the postseason since making the Division II Tournament in 1975.
“We can?t settle when we get leads,” Morgan State sophomore guard Reggie Homes said. “We have to play to a higher standard. We just can?t settle when we?re winning we?ve got to keep building off that. The FAMU game was a reality check for us and we need to go back to that game to remind us that can happen at any time.”
It will be imperative the Bears contain the Hampton backcourt of senior Rashad West (16.8 ppg) and sophomore Vincent Simpson (11 ppg) if they are to defeat the Pirates for the second time this season.
Morgan State junior forward Marquise Kately, who scored 17 points against Howard, said it?s important the Bears learn from, but don?t dwell upon, their recent mistakes.
“You?ve got to have a short memory in this league,” Kately said. “A win is a win, but we?re not happy with how we won, because the way we played won?t be good enough to keep us on top, and that?s our ultimate goal.”
