Delaware State gets offensive, rout Howard University

Photo: DSU senior Roy Bright had another monster game--scoring a game-high 26 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field, with 6-of-10 on 3-pointers, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in 28 minutes of action.

Hornets score 29 straight points to rout Howard

DOVER -- Message to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference: Delaware State still believes it's the "top dog" in the hunt for the league's men's basketball championship. The Hornets exhibited what coach Greg Jackson said was the best offensive effort in his eight years at the school in an 81-55 victory over Howard on Monday night at Memorial Hall.

DSU, coming off a win over Hampton on Saturday, parlayed that performance into an uncharacteristic offensive explosion in the first half, shooting at a blistering 78 percent clip and reeling off a 29-0 run.

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Delaware State is now tied with Hampton University for third place in the conference standing. Norfolk State is playing the best basketball in its history and has its best conference record since moving to Division I, ten years ago. This race is too close to call at this time, but if DSU continues to shoot 78 percent from the field, very few teams will be able to stop their run for the regular season conference championship.

The Hornets will be at Norfolk State on February 16, and this game should be a barn burner with unstoppable power guard Tony Murphy (16.9 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 stl) shooting the lights out and Roy Bright (18.7 ppg, 4.8 rpg) on fire with his long distance 3's.

At stake for the Hornets is a tie for second place behind Morgan State, who is playing on the road at Florida A&M on Saturday and Bethune Cookman on Monday. Neither team (FAMU or BCU) should be able to stop the 9-1 MSU Bears and their talented guards Jamar Smith (18.0 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.0 stl), Reggie Holmes (13.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 1.3 stl) forwards Marquise Kately (12.7 ppg, 6.0 rpg), and the MEAC leading rebounder, Boubacar Coly (9.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg, 2.6 blk, 1.0 stl).

Delaware State run may be too late with only six games remaining in the season with four at home before the MEAC Tournament.

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Standings

TEAM, CONFERENCE RECORD, TOTAL RECORD
Morgan State 9-1, 15-8
Norfolk State 8-2, 12-10
Hampton 7-3, 13-9
Delaware State 7-3, 10-12
North Carolina A&T 6-4, 12-11
Bethune-Cookman 4-6, 10-14
Florida A&M 4-6, 8-15
South Carolina State 4-6, 8-16
Coppin State 2-8, 7-19
Howard 2-8, 5-19
Maryland-Eastern Shore 2-8, 4-21

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