NORFOLK, Va – The Morgan State’s men’s basketball team stunned the defending Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) champions, No. 4 seed Howard University Bison, in a thrilling 91-90 victory Thursday evening at the Norfolk Scope Arena.
With just 16.1 seconds on the clock, the momentum had finally tilted back towards the Bisons after a clutch three-point shot from Howard graduate forward Cameron Shockley-Okeke to take the lead as time dwindled.
Trailing 89-90, redshirt senior guard Kameron Hobbs took the inbound pass near half court, weaved through a herd of Bison defenders in the paint, withstood the contact, and dramatically sank the game-winning layup, sealing a thrilling quarterfinal victory as time expired.
“It felt good, the past two years we have been going out in the first round. I prayed to God, working hard in practice, waiting on this game,” Hobbs.
Hobbs delivered another spectacular performance, finishing with a game-high 33 points and playing a pivotal role in the upset victory. This is his 15th game of the season scoring 20 or more points.
The game-winning shot culminated a season marked by adversity and triumph for the Bears. Just last week, the Bears found themselves in a similar situation against longtime rival, Coppin State, where they built a double-digit lead but stumbled in the final moments, failing to secure a victory.
“It’s been a lot of games we’ve been up at the end of the game and we just been giving it away sometimes so I’m just happy my teammates stayed together, believed what the coaches were saying and we just got it done,” said Hobbs.
Their win Thursday over Howard also avenged two previous matchups where, albeit close, the Bears were unable to come away with the victory. However, this time, the Bears flipped the script, shooting 57.1% from behind the arc.
“To win a championship you have to go through the champions,” said head coach Kevin Broadus. “When you lose twice to a team in the regular season, you doubt a lot of things about what you’re going to do, how you’re going to do it, but then at some point, it clicked and said just leave it all out there.”
The matchup between Morgan State and Howard was intense from the opening tip to its spectacular conclusion. Led by Hobbs’s scoring explosion, the Bears also found key contributions from redshirt senior forwards Will Thomas and senior Daniel Akitoby, both delivering key performances with 14 points each.
The resilient Bears have faced a season filled with challenges, battling through injuries and overcoming deficits heading into the MEAC tournament, but the faith of their leader never wavered.
“That’s a part of life, you’re going to have trials and tribulations. You’re going to have highs and lows. But you have to get back up no matter what,” said Broadus.
Hobbs, Thomas, and Akitoby—were recognized for their exceptional play throughout the season with prestigious All-MEAC honors on Tuesday evening. Hobbs earned a well-deserved spot on the First-Team All-MEAC. Thomas was honored with a Second-Team All-MEAC selection. Akitoby’s ability to anchor the Bears earned him a spot on the MEAC All-Defensive Team.
“I’m just happy we won, the team’s success is always first so as long as we win all the other awards don’t matter. The best award is at the end of the season,” said Hobbs.
Morgan State will take on top-seeded Norfolk State at 6 p.m. on Friday, March 14, at Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va., with a spot in the MEAC Championship game on the line.
