DOVER (February 2, 2009) ? Trailing by one point with seven seconds left on the clock and possession of the ball, Delaware State's bid to knock off first-place Morgan State fell short following a steal by Jermaine Bolden. The turnover sealed the Hornets' fate as Delaware State (5-18, 3-5 MEAC) fell to the Bears (12-10, 7-2 MEAC), 57-54, on Monday, Feb. 2 at Memorial Hall.
With time winding down, point guard Trevor Welcher drove the ball down the left side of the court but, was stripped by Bolden, preventing the Hornets from completing the comeback and earning their fourth conference victory.
"I thought our kids showed a lot of character," said Jackson. "We played a very good basketball team, which earlier in the year beat the University of Maryland. This game came down to one possession and we didn't capitalize on our possession. They made a great defensive stand which gave them (Morgan State) the opportunity to win the basketball game."
Delaware State finished the night shooting 37.0 percent from the floor (20-of-54). Led by Donald Johnson, who was making his first appearance after missing the last five games due to eligibility issues, the Hornets out-scored the Bears from the bench, 26-8. Johnson notched a team-high 15 points on 5-of-9 shooting (3-of-5 from beyond the arc). Froward Frisco Sandidge was one rebound shy of registering his second double-double of the season, scoring 13 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Junior Marcus Neal tallied his second-straight, double-digit scoring performance, recording 13 points on 6-of-12 shooting on the night.
Morgan State, which struggled from the field in the first half (6-of-21), finished the evening shooting 41.9 percent from the floor. The Bears out-rebounded the Hornets 32-28 and forced 12 turnovers, resulting in 11 points. Delaware State held a 22-18 advantage in points-in-the-paint due in large part to the combination of Sandidge and Neal. The Bears were led by Reggie Holmes, who recorded 15 points and seven rebounds on the night. Also scoring in double-digits were Bolden (13) and Marquise Kately (10). Kevin Thompson led all players with 10 rebounds in the game. Thompson finished the night with eight points, 10 boards and four blocked shots.
All night both teams battled back-and-forth, tying the contest eight different times. Five of the eight total ties took place midway through the second half. The lead changed four times with Morgan State having the advantage by as many as seven points. The Hornets, which had not led in the first half, kept the game close, holding the Bears to 28.6 percent shooting during the first 20 minutes of action. DSU gained its first lead of the contest early in the second half, following a jumper by Sandidge with 19:35 left in the game. Morgan State responded with 13-6 run to take its largest lead of the game, 36-29. Delaware State chipped away at the Morgan State lead, taking a 43-41 lead after a 3-point basket by Johnson at the 8:30 mark. The Hornets took their biggest lead of the game (46-43) following Johnson's third 3-pointer of the night with 7:48 left in the game. For nearly eight minutes, neither team could take control of the game as the score drew even five times and lead changed hands twice. With a chance to take the final shot of the game, DSU turned the ball over with seven seconds left, resulting in the team's second-straight MEAC loss at home.
The loss dropped the Hornets to 4-5 at Memorial Hall this season.
Delaware State will travel to Hampton, Va., to face the Hampton Pirates on Saturday, Feb. 7. Tip off is slated for 6:00 p.m.
