The Morgan State Bears edged out the Delaware State Hornets in a low scoring 39-36 victory Saturday afternoon at Memorial Hall. With the win, Morgan Sate clinched their first-ever MEAC regular season championship.

Both teams entered the afternoon contest without their leading scorers, but it was the Bears that had enough fire power left to slip by the Hornets 39-36. The Bears extended their MEAC record to 13-2, 19-9 overall, while the Hornets dropped to 9-6, 12-15.

The victory also secured the number one slot in the championship tournament bracket for the Bears. The 2008 MEAC Tournament gets underway March 11-15 at the RBC Center in Raleigh, NC.

The Hornets leading scorer Roy Bright didn’t was out due to a tooth ache and Bears’ leading scorer Jamar Smith was sidelined due to an ankle injury. Without the two players both teams struggled from the floor. MSU shot 32 percent (14-of-43) from the field while DSU connected on 32 percent (17-54) of their baskets.

Hornet’s Donald Johnson tied up the game at 27 with a jumper at the 8:04 mark. But the Bears responded and took the lead on a layup by Marquise Kately at the seven minute mark. A 3-point play by Jerrell Green gave the Bears a six point edge (35-29) with 3:20 left,

The Hornets put together a 7-3 surge cutting the lead to two (36-38) on a jumper by Frisco Sandidge with 42 seconds left.

MSU’s Coly Boubacar scored from the free-throw line to secure the victory and the team’s first conference regular season title.

No one player scored in double digits for the Bears but Kately led with a team-high nine points. MEAC Defensive Player of the Week Boubacar grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.

Sandidge led all scorers with a double-double, 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Hornets.