Men's Basketball 11/13/2010 2:13:00 PM MEAC Media Relations

Men?s Basketball Recap: Nov. 12

Bears open season with comeback victory at No. 21 Loyola Marymount, 81-79

LOS ANGELES, Calif. - In a game that felt more like a late season showdown between a pair of teams with high expectations in 2010-11, saw Morgan State erase a 15-point second half deficit to earn an 81-79 win over No. 21 Loyola Marymount in front of 2,933 at Gersten Pavilion on Friday in the season opener for both teams.

DeWayne Jackson hit 7-for-11 from the three-point line and finished 10-for-18 from the field for a game high 31 points. Kevin Thompson added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Drew Viney led the Lions with 27 points, while Vernon Teel added 15 points and nine rebounds. Junior Jarred DuBois added 13 points and seven rebounds while freshman Godwin Okonji had a stellar debut with seven points, eight rebounds, four blocks and three steals in 27 minutes.

The Lions used their defense to earn offense early to build a 58-43 lead with 13:19 to play in the second half thanks to an Ashley Hamilton putback. However, trailing by 11, Morgan State went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to four, 72-68, on five straight points by Justin Black with 6:43 to play.

Viney answered the run with just under five minutes to play, making the score 74-68. The teams traded baskets before DeWayne Jackson hit his sixth three-pointer of the game to make it 76-73.

Read the entire story at MorganStateBears.com

Howard Pulls Out Win over Bowling Green

Game Stats

WASHINGTON, DC-November 12---Alphonso Leary overcame early foul problems and came up with a key three-point play to help Howard defeat Bowling Green, 54-52 in a non-conference game at Burr Gymnasium.

A 6-9 freshman center from Norfolk, VA, Leary was fouled and then finished the three-point play with a free throw with 31 second remaining to give the Bison a 54-50 lead. The Falcons (0-1) were able to get within two 11 seconds later when Luke Kraus nailed two of three free throw attempts.

Howard missed out a chance to close out the game on the ensuing possession when Kyle Riley missed two free throws, but the Bison dug in and held off the visitors to secure their first home opener in eight years.

Leary was thrust into the starting lineup after projected starter Theodore Boyomo tore his ACL in a pre-season exhibition two weeks ago and was declared out for the season after surgery. His inexperience showed early when he picked up his third foul and was forced to sit out 14 minutes of the first half.

Read the entire story at Howard-Bison.com.

NCCU Opens Hoops Season with 60-Point Win over Johnson & Wales

Game Stats

DURHAM, N.C. - North Carolina Central scored the first 20 points of its men's basketball season-opener versus upstart Johnson & Wales and cruised to a 90-30 win on Friday night inside McDougald-McLendon Gymnasium in Durham, N.C.

The 60-point margin of victory is the largest for the Eagles since defeating Saint Paul's College 100-34 on Dec. 12, 1951, and equaled the sixth biggest blowout in the program's distinguished history.

Defensively, NCCU held Johnson & Wales to the lowest point total by an opponent since defeating a team from the Petersburg (Va.) YMCA, 81-29, on Dec. 27, 1948. It was the fewest points allowed by the Eagles against a college foe since beating Saint Augustine's College, 75-28, during 1947-48 season.

Eleven of the 13 Eagles that hit the hardwood scored, including five with double figures. Junior transfer Landon Clement topped NCCU (1-0) with 15 points, including a three-minute stretch in the second half when he drained four straight three-pointers.