Morgan State?s men?s basketball team had played many games this season similar to Monday?s contest against visiting North Carolina A&T.
The Bears stayed close with the Aggies early and trailed, 31-29, at halftime. They rallied in the second half and built a 47-38 lead with 13:14 remaining, only to let North Carolina A&T cut the deficit to two points.
Unlike earlier losses to the University of Maryland-Baltimore County and Florida A&M, though, Morgan State regrouped and won, 69-60. First-year coach Todd Bozeman said he?s not sure the team would have won under such circumstances two months ago, when a patchwork roster of freshmen, transfers and graduate students first took the court.
“I?m encouraged that we?ve been in games even though we haven?t played well and blended yet,” Bozeman said. “We?ve had games where one guy has done well and that is it, but now, we?re having more cohesiveness.”
Morgan State (6-11, 4-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) has won four of its last six games. The Bears will go for their third straight win Saturday when they host Maryland-Eastern Shore (3-16, 0-7).
Morgan State?s roster includes seven new players, including two junior college transfers and two graduate students, and only four returnees from last season.
Said Bozeman: “It?s always been a matter of finding our roles and feeling comfortable with our roles. … By no means am I saying that we?ve arrived, but we are starting to play better.”
Bozeman appears to have settled on a starting lineup that includes senior center Timothy Berkley getting extended minutes and junior college transfer forward Jamar Smith coming off the bench. Berkley had 10 rebounds, and Smith had 20 points and eight rebounds Monday.
“We know how to finish games now,” senior forward Ronald Timus said. “A month ago, we had a hard time with that. We?d just come out in the second half and just lose it. We?re all coming together as a unit.”
BEAR CLAWS
» Morgan State is currently tied with North Carolina A&T for fourth place in the MEAC. Both teams are 4-3 in conference play. Delaware State, which beat Morgan State, 68-61, on Jan. 8, leads the league at 7-0.
» Jamar Smith is second on the team in scoring (11.2 points per game) and third on the team in rebounding (4.5).
» Timothy Berkley is averaging 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game.
