Baltimore, Md. (Feb. 6, 2021) --- Delaware State trailed by as many as 15 points before rebounding to take a second half lead, but Morgan State recovered for a 74-69 MEAC North victory over the Hornets at Hill Fieldhouse today. The division leading Bears won their fifth straight game to improve to 11-4 overall and 6-2 in the MEAC. DSU fell to 1-12 and 0-7.
Morgan State's Lagio Grantsaan was high scorer in the game with 21 points, while teammate Malik Miller added 19 points and led all players with 17 rebounds.
John Stansbury, playing in just his fourth game of the season, led three double-figure scorers for Delaware State with a season-high 17 points, one shy of her career best. Stansbury was six-for-seven from the field, including four-of-four on three-point shots, and hit his only free throw. 
Dominik Fragala came off the bench to add 16 points for the Hornets, his high since joining the team this season.
Zach Kent contributed 13 points for DSU, highlighted by three-for-four shooting on three-point attempts.  He also blocked two shots to raise his season total to a team-high 17.
Morgan State starting quickly in the contest, opening up a 12-2 lead in the first four minutes.
The Bears stretched their lead to 23-5 on a dunk by De'Torrian Ware at the 13:23 mark of the first half.
The Hornets trailed 29-14 at the midway point of the half.
Delaware State chipped away the deficit over the next seven-and-a-half minutes, and pulled to within 35-32 after two free throws by Fragala with 2:34 to go before the break.
Kent keyed the rally by knocking down three three-pointers, while Shaft Clark also hit a three to help get the Hornets back into the game.
Morgan State led 37-32 at intermission.
Delaware State scored seven of the first nine points of the second half, and tied the game at 39-39 on a three-pointer by Stansbury following a steal by Myles Carter with 17:35 left to play.
Morgan State answered with an 11-2 run, and opened up a 50-41 advantage on a dunk by Miller with 15:31 remaining in the game.
The Hornets clawed back again, going on a 16-6 run to pull ahead for the first time since early in the game. Ameer Bennett capped off the run with an old fashioned three-point play off a feed from Fragala to give DSU a 57-56 lead after the free throw at the 8:59 mark of the second half.
The lead changed hands six times over the next six minutes.
Delaware State held its last advantage, 69-68, on a lay-up by Carter with 2:40 left to play.
The Bears pulled back ahead 70-69 on a lay-in by Grantsaan with 2:10 left.
Delaware State came up short on its next two possessions, and the Bears took advantage when Grantsaan hit another lay-up to stretch Morgan's lead to 72-69 with 29 seconds remaining.
After a time out, the Hornets had a chance to tie the game but turned the ball over with nine seconds to go.
Morgan's Sherwyn Devonish hit two free throws with eight seconds left to seal the win for the Bears.     
Delaware State shot 40.1% for the game, connecting on 25 of its 61 shots from the floor, including 10 of 25 on three-point attempts (40%). Morgan State was 23 for 63 from the field (41.3%), but just three of 16 from beyond the arc (18.8%).
The Bears held advantages in rebounding and at the free throw line. Morgan State outrebounded DSU 47-30 and was 19 for 23 at the line. The Hornets attempted 12 free throws, hitting nine.
STINGERS
…DSU's Pinky Wiley had a string of 22 consecutive games with at least one three-pointer snapped in the game, coming up empty on five attempts
...Carter came up just short of a 10^th consecutive game scoring in double-figures, tallying nine points in the contest
… DSU's Chris Sodom had three blocks in the contest, giving him 11 in seven games this season
…The Hornets are scheduled to return to action next weekend at home against Howard. The teams are scheduled to play on Sat. Feb. 13 and Sun. Feb. 14 at 2:00 p.m. in DSU's Memorial Hall.