Delaware State freshman guard Desi Washington scored a game-high 18 points to help his team slip by the Morgan State Bears men’s basketball team, 70-65, in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) matchup on Jan. 22 at Memorial Hall in Dover, Del.
Washington made six of his 10 shots, went 2-for-6 from three-point range and converted 4-of-5 free throws in the winning effort. Morgan State junior forward Ameer Ali recorded a double-double of 12 and 11 rebounds in place of star junior forward Kevin Thompson, who was sidelined most of the game due to foul trouble.
Delaware State’s slow-tempo offense and swarming defense frustrated Morgan State, limiting Thompson, the reigning MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, to no points in the first half and just six points total. MSU junior forward Aric Brooks was also frustrated by the Hornets’ attack and was ejected from the game due to a flagrant foul. Sophomore forward DeWayne Jackson, who has averaged 16 points per game, scored only seven points against Delaware State.
Morgan kept the score tight despite the struggles of their best players, but Delaware State junior guard Jay Threatt hit two big free throws, while freshman guard Casey Walker made a critical three-point shot in the final seconds of the game that pushed Delaware State ahead for good.
The win marked the first time Delaware State defeated Morgan State since March 9, 2007, when Delaware State scored a 56-53 overtime win over the Bears in the MEAC tournament semifinals.
MSU saw their three-game winning streak snapped and suffered their first MEAC loss since Feb. 15, when they fell to South Carolina State University. It was also their first MEAC road loss since falling to Hampton University on Feb. 23, 2009.
Delaware State pushed their MEAC record to 4-1, and are 8-9 overall on the season. They will face conference foe Coppin State in a home game on Jan. 24. Meanwhile, Morgan State (8-8 overall, 4-1 MEAC) will take on University of Maryland-Eastern Shore in Prince Anne, Md. on the same date.
