The Morgan State men?s basketball team isn?t looking forward to heading back to Florida anytime soon.
“We kind of let up and paid the price,” Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman said. “We won’t know weather it was a lesson learned until we finish the season.”
The Bears (16-9, 10-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) started their two-game swing through Florida with a stunning, 90-89 loss in overtime to Florida A&M (9-16, 5-6) in Tallahassee on Feb. 16. The loss snapped an eight-game winning streak for the Bears ? their longest since winning the Division II national championship in 1974 ? and dropped them into a tie for first place with Norfolk State (14-10, 10-2).
But Morgan State rebounded to play one of its best games of the season in a 63-52 win over Bethune-Cookman (10-16, 4-8) this past Monday.
The lesson the Bears learned?
“The basic message we continue to get across is we have to be consistent,” Bozeman said. “Both in our focus and our effort.”
Morgan State received a scare early in the loss to Florida A&M when junior forward Marquise Kately had to leave just two minutes into the game with a sore knee. The Bears led the Rattlers by as many as 21 points, but were outscored 19-4 to end regulation and couldn?t hold onto a four-point lead in the extra session. Jamar Smith finished with a career-high 34 points and senior forward Boubacar Coly added 14 points and 14 rebounds, but it wasn?t enough for the Bears to tie the school?s all-time record for consecutive wins.
Two nights later against the Wlidcats, Morgan State jumped out to a 29-21 lead and never looked back against one of the league?s top defensive teams, which entered the game allowing just 59.7 points per game. The Bears finished with just 10 turnovers, made 20-of-26 free throws and outrebounded the Wildcats, 31-21. More importantly, Kately returned, scoring 12 points to go along with six rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Morgan State tries to sustain its push toward its first postseason berth as a Division I school this afternoon at 4 against Howard (5-21, 2-9) at Hill Field House. Morgan State beat the Bison, 69-51 in the District on Jan. 26.
“We are just doing the same things,” sophomore guard Reggie Holmes said, “to get to our ultimate goal.”
