Junior forward Cedric Blossom scored a team-high 17 points as the Morgan State University Bears nevertheless fell to the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Hawks, 89-76, in their regular season finale on March 5 in Princess Anne, Md.
The Bears ended their regular season with a fifth straight loss and slid to a 7-23 overall record, 5-11 against their Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opponents, their worst record in nine years. Meanwhile, the Hawks capped off their season with an 18-13 overall record, 11-6 MEAC, their best record in 41 years.
UMES was simply the better team from the start, and controlled the momentum throughout the game. Five different players scored double digits in points for the Hawks, including junior guard Devin Martin with a team-high 17 points and junior forward Dominique Elliott with 15 points.
Blossom made 7-of-11 free throw attempts as part of his 17 points. Sophomore guard Torin Childs-Harris added 15 points and senior guard Blake Bozeman had 12 points for the Bears.
Morgan State enters the MEAC tournament as the No. 11 seed, and are scheduled to face No. 6 seed Hampton University on March 9 in Norfolk, Va. If Morgan State wins, they would face UMES once again in a quarterfinal matchup set for March 12.