UAlbany Drops Home Opener To Morgan State

ALBANY – Reggie Holmes scored 23 points and DeWayne Jackson’s steal and slam dunk put his team ahead in the final five minutes in leading Morgan State to a 69-65 victory over UAlbany on Friday evening at SEFCU Arena.

In a second half that featured five lead changes and four ties, UAlbany (0-2) reversed a 46-42 deficit with 11 unanswered.  Tim Ambrose, a 6-foot junior who had 14 of his 21 points after the break, drew his team even with a pair of free throws.  Freshman guard Mike Black followed with a driving layup and a three-point play when he was fouled while converting a fastbreak opportunity.  Ambrose’s jumper from left of the lane gave his club a 53-46 advantage with 12:30 remaining.

Morgan State (1-0) still trailed by four with less than six minutes to play, but regrouped when Holmes canned one of his three 3-point field goals after an offensive rebound.  Jackson’s steal and dunk put his team ahead, 61-60, with 4:23 left.

Still leading by one, Holmes connected on a one-hander as he curled into the lane.  Jackson came up with another steal and sank a 19-footer from just inside the top of the arc for a 67-62 lead with 1:32 remaining.  The Great Danes were still within one possession in the closing seconds, but Jackson sealed the outcome by splitting a pair of free throws.

“I was disappointed that we lost the game, but I look at this as a positive,” said UAlbany coach Will Brown, whose team held the visitors to 38.2-percent shooting.  “The young guys played well and we were missing two starters.  Morgan State is an NCAA team who will win their league again this year.  They switched (defensively) on everything in the last three minutes and we got stagnant (on offense).”

The Bears, who made their first NCAA appearance last year after winning the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, built a 27-16 margin in the first half.  Kevin Thompson, a 6-foot-8 sophomore who totaled 15 points and nine rebounds, scored on a follow shot to give his squad its biggest lead.

The Great Danes, who opened their season with a loss at No. 25 Syracuse four days earlier, came back to tie the contest at 33 apiece by halftime.  Will Harris, a senior who netted 18 points, hit a bank shot in transition before Logan Aronhalt drilled his second 3-pointer of the period to close the gap to 33-31.  Harris later made a jumper from the foul line that evened the score.

“We had trouble putting the ball in the hole,” offered Harris, whose team did not make a field goal over the last seven minutes.  “We have to do a better job of being available for Tim (Ambrose).  I am encouraged because the young guys stepped up. They will be needed later in the year.

UAlbany’s Black finished with seven points and three assists, while Aronhalt, a redshirt freshman, added six points and four rebounds off the bench.  Derrek Tartt, another freshman guard, contributed three points, four assists and three rebounds.