Box Score

RALEIGH, N.C. – Corin Adams and Phylicia Jones each scored 14 points to lead Morgan State to an easy 86-65 win over Norfolk State in the first round of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women's tournament at the RBC Center. The No. 6 seeded Lady Bears advance to the quarterfinal round against No. 3 Delaware State on Thursday at 12 noon.
 
Norfolk State (5-23), the number 11 seed, stayed close through the first four minutes until Morgan State used a 36-19 scoring barrage to take an insurmountable 50-29 lead to the locker room.
 
The Lady Bears (19-11) were working on all cylinders as nine different players scored while maintaining a 24-6 edge on points-in-the-paint and a 25-2 advantage in bench points.
 
 “We've been up and down the last few games so we had a chance to get a couple of kids in the game and get ourselves together,” said Morgan State head coach Donald Beasley. “It was a good situation for us. It allowed us to get our feet wet and prepare for Delaware State.”
 
NSU, which played most of the season with only seven players in uniform, was unable to stay with the deeper Morgan State team which played all 14 of its players in uniform.
 
 “It's been an interesting year, one full of growth and development,” said first year head coach Tara A. Owens. “The win-loss record does not reflect some of the challenges we have gone through. Today was a challenge and we competed to the best of our ability.”
 
Adams, an All-MEAC first team selection, added six assists and three steals, while Jones recorded a double-double of 14 points, 10 rebounds.
 
 “We knew that they had a short bench so we kept the pressure on them,” said Jones. “We did not want to take them lightly because we know it is tournament time. We got some things done and now we move on.”
 
The Spartans were led by Danelle Tate (Stafford, Va.), who scored a game-high 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds. Raychele Payne (Newport News, Va.) and Genor Dalton (Martinsville, Va.) contributed 16 and 12 points, respectively.
 
The quarterfinal features a match-up between the two teams that met in the tournament championship game last season, with Delaware State prevailing and advancing to the NCAA tournament. The Lady Hornets also swept Morgan State this season.