The University of Maryland, Baltimore County men’s basketball team defeated the Morgan State Bears, 85-70, on Nov. 12 at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Arena in Baltimore to advance to the Under Armour 410 Invitational championship game. Devin Ceaser and Aidan Able combined for 41 points as UMBC turned a 42-39 halftime lead into a decisive victory.
UMBC Seizes Control After Halftime
UMBC opened the second half with a 22-6 run after taking a three-point advantage into the break. Morgan State’s Keith Richard cut the margin to 42-41 on a layup with 19:05 remaining, but Ceaser answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to give UMBC a 50-43 lead with 17:17 left.
UMBC then used a 14-0 run to extend its advantage from 50-45 to 64-45. Ceaser started the surge with a fast-break layup after a steal, and Steven Huan capped it with an alley-oop dunk assisted by Carlos Varela.
Morgan State made another push when Khali Horton converted two free throws to cut the deficit to 76-64 with 4:52 remaining. Able responded on UMBC’s ensuing possession with his sixth 3-pointer of the game to help secure the victory.
Ceaser, Able Lead UMBC’s Offense
Ceaser shot 7 of 15 from the field, made 3 of 8 attempts from 3-point range and converted 4 of 5 free throws. Able made 6 of 12 3-point attempts, the most by a UMBC freshman since Joe Sherburne against Duquesne in 2015.
JP Ndong and Huan each scored 10 points off the bench. Huan also finished the 14-0 run with his alley-oop dunk, while Varela recorded the assist.
Defense Creates Separation
UMBC forced 20 Morgan State turnovers and scored 29 points off those takeaways. The Retrievers also held a 36-24 advantage in points in the paint.
The result marked UMBC’s third consecutive victory over Morgan State. UMBC entered the game with a 2-2 record, while Morgan State entered at 3-1.
Championship Game Next
UMBC was scheduled to travel to Towson on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. for the Under Armour 410 Invitational championship game. The matchup follows the Retrievers’ semifinal victory over Morgan State.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
UMBC’s second-half response defined the game. After Morgan State pulled within one point early in the half, the Retrievers answered with 3-point shooting, defensive pressure and a 14-0 run that created the separation they needed.
Ceaser and Able provided the primary scoring, while the bench contributions from Ndong and Huan added balance. UMBC’s 20 forced turnovers and 29 points off those turnovers gave the Retrievers another clear advantage in a victory that sent them into the Under Armour 410 Invitational championship game.
Source: Original report
