DeWayne Jackson (32) and Rodney Stokes (42) had a solid effort against Winston-Salem State.
Boxscore
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Morgan States' play in the second half fueled the Bears to an 84-65 victory over Winston-Salem State on Monday night at the C.E. Gaines Center.
Morgan State's (12-7, 4-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) defense improved after halftime as the Bears forced turnovers and limited the Rams into shooting difficult shots. Winston-Salem State's shooting dropped from 53.6 percent (15-28) in the first half to 36.7 percent shooting in the second half.
Reggie Holmes, the nation's No. 6 leading scorer (22.5 ppg), scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half for the Bears. Holmes shot 6-of-13 from the field and was 9-of-11 from the stripe.
Kevin Thompson, the nation's No. 4 leading rebounder (12.7 rpg), collected his 12th double-double of the season with 12 points and 10 rebounds. DeWayne Jackson finished with 11 points and Rodney Stokes chipped in 10.
It was a see-saw affair throughout most of the first half. The teams each shot 53 percent from the field and there were 10 lead changes and nine ties.
Morgan State gained control of the ballgame just before the break by outscoring the Rams 24-14 inside the paint and converting on fast break opportunities to give the Bears a 40-35 halftime lead.
Paul Davis led the Rams with 16 points. Andrew Jackson and Brian Fisher scored 11 and 10 points respectively.
Morgan State used a 14-4 run and a layup by Stokes put the Bears ahead 58-43 with 10:16 remaining and the Rams didn't threaten from there.
It was the third straight win for the Bears and its fourth straight victory against the Rams since the 2006-07 season.
Morgan State shot a season-high 54.5 percent (30-55) and went to the basket consistently, getting 42 points in the paint, and went to the line 29 times, making 21. The Bears also tied a season-low with just seven turnovers as a result of solid guard play.
Winston-Salem State had a rough night from the charity line (9-21 FT) and finished with 12 turnovers.
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