Bison Fall To North Carolina A&T in Home Conference Opener
Washington, DC-Dadrian Collins scored a team-high 17 points and Kyle Riley and Anton Dickerson added 13 and 12, respectively, but it was not enough to offset the inside-outside game of Thomas Coleman and Marc Hill who combined for 37 points to lead North Carolina A&T to a 78-65 win over Howard in a MEAC men's game at Burr Gymnasium.
Collins and Riley were able to pick up the slack for team-leading scorer Mike Phillips, who was held scoreless in the first half and finished with six points. Riley had his best shooting performance of the season and was also instrumental in setting up Collins and Dickerson for good looks.
The Aggies (8-9 overall, 3-1 in the MEAC) relied on Coleman, their leading scorer and rebounder in the first 20 minutes and he responded with 13 points and 7 rebounds for a 40-30 advantage over the hosts.
Coleman's effectiveness in the first half forced Howard (2-14 overall, 0-4 in the MEAC) to concentrate more on controlling him in the second half. The Aggies were able to adjust and it resulted in Hill finding the range, tallying 16 points after intermission, including 4-of-6 from beyond the three-point line. As a team, NC A&T shot 42 percent (10 of 24) from three-point range for the game.
Coleman finished with his 10th double-double (17 points, 11 rebounds) of the season. Hill led all scorers with 20 and Nic Simpson contributed 15, nine coming in the second half.
For the complete story, visit www.howard-bison.com or www.ncataggies.com
Pirates Win Battle Of The Bay
HAMPTON, Va. -Hampton squeaked past Norfolk State to win the Battle of the Bay on Saturday at the HU Convocation Center, pulling away late for a 63-56 victory.
Kyle O'Quinn hit a free throw with 2:06 to play to tie the game at 54-54, but the Pirates hit seven of eight free throws down the stretch to get back into the win column and win their second straight contest against the Spartans.
Senior guard Brandon Tunnell hit a free throw with 1:28 to play to give Hampton a 55-54 lead, and the Pirates never looked back.
Down the stretch, Norfolk State (2-13, 1-3 MEAC) went 3:32 without a field goal.
Junior guard Darrion Pellum added the exclamation point with 18 seconds to play; after the Pirates (13-4, 3-1 MEAC) broke Norfolk State's press, Pellum drove the lane and scooped the ball into the net to put Hampton up 61-56.
Junior guard Kwame Morgan led Hampton with 20 points on 6-for-17 shooting, while Pellum added 16 points. Junior forward Danny Agbelese pulled down a team-high eight rebounds to go with five blocked shots - all in the first half.
O'Quinn led Norfolk State with 19 points on 7-for-12 shooting, while Aleek Pauline added 17 points. Both players also had a team-high seven rebounds each.
For the complete story, visit www.hamptonpirates.com or www.nsuspartans.com
Clement, Wilkerson Propel Eagles To Victory Over Coppin State
BALTIMORE-The junior-senior duo of Landon Clement and C.J. Wilkerson scored a combined 48 points, breaking open a back-and-forth contest in the second half with a 22-8 run in leading North Carolina Central University to the 77-71 win over Coppin State on Saturday afternoon at the Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, Md.
In the fifth meeting between these two programs, there were nine ties and 16 lead changes throughout with NCCU using a hot start by shooting 12-for-23 (52.2%) from the field to grab onto a 28-27 halftime lead. It was Wilkerson who paced the Eagles in the first frame after scoring 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting. The senior guard finished the night with 23 points for NCCU.
NCCU (7-8) is now 3-1 against MEAC opponents and has won both of its road contests within the conference.
Coppin State, which lost for just the second time at home this season, was led by Michael Harper who scored 16 points. Ceslovas Kucinkskas added 13 points, while Akeem Ellis had 12 points and Vince Goldsberry scored 11.
For the complete story, visit www.nccueaglepride.com or www.coppinstatesports.com
Hawks Outlast Rattlers, 86-81, In Overtime
PRINCESS ANNE, Md. - Junior Dishawn Bradshaw and redshirt junior Hillary Haley each scored five points during the overtime period to lead Maryland Eastern Shore to an 86-81 victory over Florida A&M Saturday.
The win marks the first of the season for UMES in the MEAC as the team improves to 4-12 overall and 1-2 in the conference while FAMU falls to 5-11 overall and 0-4 in the MEAC.
Haley led the Hawks with 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 from the charity stripe. He also tallied seven rebounds in the win.
Senior Kevin White registered a game-high eight assists and also chipped in 16 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Junior Tyler Hines grabbed a team-high eight rebounds in addition to his 13 points on the night. Bradshaw also scored in double digits with 10.
FAMU's Avery Moore scored a game-high 26 points on 8-of-15 shooting from 3-point land and 9-of-19 shooting overall. Sophomore Amin Stevens recorded a double-double with 22 points and 12 rebounds.
For the complete story, visit www.umeshawks.com or www.famurattlersports.com
SC State Falls to Morgan State 71-55
BALTIMORE - Aric Brooks has 16 points and MEAC preseason Player of the Year Kevin Thompson added 13 and a game-high eight rebounds to lift Morgan State to a 71-55 win over cold-shooting and turnover-prone South Carolina State Saturday before a small crowd at Hill Field House and an ESPN2 national audience.
The Bulldogs connected on only 39 percent of their shots (16-41) from the field and committed 18 turnovers in dropping their second straight MEAC game and their 11th consecutive road contest dating back to last season. Coach Tim Carter's team fell to 5-11 overall and 1-2 in the MEAC with the setback.
Senior Carrio Bennett and JUCO transfer Omar Sanders had 11 points each to lead SC State in the loss. Presano Bell and Rio Pitt added seven points each. Bell led the Bulldogs on the boards with six but had a tough night at the line, missing seven of his 10 chances at the line.
Morgan State, which improved to 8-7 and 4-0 in MEAC play, was led by Brooks and Thompson. Justin Black came off the bench to add 11 points and four boards. DeWayne Jackson, the 2010 MEAC Rookie of the Year, was just shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds.
For the complete story, visit www.scsuathletics.com or www.morganstatebears.com
Bethune-Cookman 61, Delaware State 60- Recap to Follow