Hope was in the air for the Morgan State men?s basketball team on Jan. 8.
Reggie Holmes, a freshman guard, hit a clutch three-pointer to cut the Bears? deficit to 65-61 with 34 seconds remaining against visiting Delaware State. But the shot turned out to be like the Bears? season as a whole ? promising, but not quite enough ? as the team fell, 68-61.
Entering this weekend?s home game against South Carolina State, Morgan State (4-11 overall, 2-3 in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) has lost five of its last seven games following a 68-54 loss Monday at Norfolk State. For Morgan coach Todd Bozeman, the team?s recent skid is the latest example of a team that is still learning what it takes to be competitive. That mindset is something Bozeman wants to change in his first year at the helm.
“We still need to learn how to grow and to play our pace,” Bozeman said last week. “We had some breakdowns that were inexcusable. Right now, we?re at a stage where we?re trying to get guys to be accountable for your role and the things you?re supposed to do.”
Morgan State trailed, 35-32, at halftime against Norfolk State, but the Spartans answered with a 9-0 run to open the second half and never trailed the rest of the game. Bozeman said stretches like and a similar one against Delaware State are what keep the Bears from being a legitimate contender for the conference title.
Still, there are some bright spots for the team this season. The Bears are fourth in the 11-team MEAC in scoring offense at 68 points per game. Senior forward Ronald Timus leads the team in scoring at 13.8 points a game and is second with six rebounds.
Holmes is second on the team at 12.1 points per game and in three-point shooting accuracy (33 percent). Also, senior forward Boubacar Coly pitches in 9.2 points and a team-best 6.5 rebounds a contest.
But Bozeman said there are many areas that need improvement. The Bears are last in the MEAC in scoring defense (77.7 points), seventh in free-throw shooting percentage (.643) and eighth in field-goal percentage defense (.483). Also, starting point guard Jerrel Green is out for the foreseeable future with a separated shoulder he suffered Jan. 4 in a win over Winston-Salem State.
“It?s tough,” senior guard Joseph McLean said. “We have guys going hard and you don?t come up with a loose ball or come up with a key shot. We just have to stay together and make plays when we have to make plays. “We?re coming together. It?s just going to take some time.”
