Morgan State 85, High Point 74
Two big runs were all Morgan State needed to win its first game after an 11-day layoff.
After achieving some separation at the first half's end, the Bears broke away from High Point midway through the second half in an 85-74 non-conference win Wednesday night at Hill Field House in Baltimore.
Morgan State (3-7) took control with a 17-2 spurt in the second half.
Guard Justin Black paced Morgan State's balanced attack with 23 points, while 7-foot-2 senior center Ian Chiles added 18 and guard Anthony Hubbard scored 13 points. Guard Blake Bozeman tallied 12 points.
Redshirt freshman forward John Brown fired in a game-high 26 points for the Panthers (3-6). High Point guard Devante Wallace, one of four Baltimore products making a homecoming, added 15 points and 12 rebounds.
Morgan State led 33-32 with 1:53 left in the first half but used a 10-4 run to open up a seven-point halftime advantage. Black and Chiles each finished the half with 13 points.
After High Point drew within 55-53 early in the second half, the Bears busted it open with a spurt that pushed the advantage to 17 points. The Panthers cut the deficit down to eight in the last four minutes but couldn't seriously threaten Morgan State in the endgame.
High Point visits No. 2 Syracuse on Friday, while the Bears are idle until a Dec. 27 trip to Cal State Northridge.
