[Morgan State Coach Todd] Bozeman said he felt historically black college and universities, with the right approach by administrators, could become a major player in Division I basketball.BUFFALO, N.Y. -- West Virginia fought off an early scare, got its act straightened out and rolled past Morgan State, 77-50 this afternoon at the HSBC Arena in Buffalo in a first-round NCAA tournament game. The Mountaineers -- the No. 2-seed in the East region -- advanced their record to 28-6 and, on Sunday, will play Missouri. Morgan State, looking to become the fifth No. 15-seed in tournament history to earn an opening round win, had its season end with a 27-10 record as West Virginia was led in scoring by Kevin Jones, who had 17, and Devin Ebanks' 16.
West Virginia was deplorable at the beginning, as the squad missed its first 11 shots and fell behind, 10-0 in the early going, and didn't score a field goal in the opening 7 minutes, 45 seconds. But the Mountaineers remaining steady against Morgan State's zone, never deviating from their intended offensive course and slowly climbed back into it. They narrowed the disadvantage and narrowed the disadvantage until West Virginia took its first lead, 22-21 with 5:42 remaining in the half on a Joe Mazzulla free throw. Coach Bob Huggins' team never trailed again. From there, the Mountaineers cruised into halftime, distancing themselves from the MEAC champions and securing a 38-27 halftime lead.
Loyal Bozeman Rebuilds Morgan State and His Reputation
Buffalo, NY - When Todd Bozeman faced the news media Friday, he was pleasant but far more somber than he had been a day earlier as he talked about Morgan State’s chances against West Virginia in the opening round of the N.C.A.A. tournament. Bozeman’s 15th-seeded Bears were crushed by No. 2 West Virginia, 77-50, but he told his players not to let the defeat mar what had been a heroic season. Heroic, not because of victories or a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship, but for displaying grace under pressure during a season of heartbreaks.
The father of sophomore guard Ameer Ali committed suicide.
The senior guard Troy Smith’s daughter, who was born blind, had a tumor removed.
The popular freshman forward Anthony Anderson, who redshirted last season, was found to have leukemia sometime after the first day of practice.
Bozeman used the numbing events to underscore his favorite message: the power of overcoming obstacles. “Everybody is going to have adversity,” he said. “It just depends on how you deal with it.” Bozeman is an embodiment of fighting through adversity. He has endured a grueling journey, a rebound from a steep fall from grace. In a close-knit industry that is built largely on relationships, Bozeman’s odyssey through the treacherous waters of N.C.A.A. basketball is a testament to tempering rabid ambition with loyalty. He dabbled in the dark side of ambition, and it changed his life.
Click HERE to watch Morgan State vs. West Virginia game.
Morgan State University superstar, senior guard Reggie Holmes.Morgan State is no stranger to emotion
Hugs can linger at the NCAA men's basketball tournament. It is an emotional time for coaches, parents, fans and players - especially those who are playing their final time in their collegiate careers. But even by those standards, the embrace shared by Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman and his senior guard Reggie Holmes at the end of a 77-50 loss to West Virginia Friday was long. The seconds flew by, until the hug stopped just shy of 30 seconds, by one rough estimate.
"Great career," Holmes said Bozeman's first words were. "We've been here the last four years, since it's started. Since our run started." "You ain't gonna tell them I told you I loved you, man?" Bozeman inquired at the podium. "Yeah, you love me," Holmes said, trailing off. The declaration of love is not a rare thing for Morgan State, the Baltimore school that came into the tournament as a 15th seed in the East region. No, on this day, every player had his emotions tattooed on his face.
And at many times this year, the emotions have been overwhelming. One Morgan State fan who made the trip to Buffalo held up a sign that read "Do It 4 Big Ant." That would be Anthony Anderson, the 6-foot-10 forward who did not play as a red-shirt freshman last year, and found out he had leukemia after the team's first practice this year. "Just imagine waiting for Christmas, then on Christmas, they take it away from you," Bozeman said yesterday.
NCAA tournament blogging – Morgan-W.Va. final thoughts
There really isn't a whole lot to add on Morgan State's loss. The Bears started strong, West Virginia started cold, and then Morgan State just got overwhelmed by the West Virginia size, depth and athleticism. If they played this game 100 times, West Virginia would probably win 98 of them. The Mountaineers are going to be tough to beat with their rebounding ability.
But I think we shouldn't walk away from this contest without acknowledging one very nice moment for the Bears that happened with 30 seconds left. Todd Bozeman called a timeout, and took Reggie Holmes out of the game. Holmes, a senior, is Morgan State's all-time leading scorer, and when the two men met at the scorer's table, Holmes started to cry. And then Bozeman started to cry.
Holmes was one of the first kids to buy into what Bozeman was selling four years ago when he got this job. He's a shy kid, but a year ago, we sat in the stands and talked about his decision to enroll at Morgan, which wasn't easy. The kids he grew up playing against in his neighborhood thought Morgan State was a joke. There was almost more pride in not playing at all instead of playing for a school like Morgan State back then, but Holmes believed what Bozeman told him. He was a good player, but if he came to Morgan State, he could develop and become a great player.
Mountaineers cruise to easy win
Da'Sean Butler, West Virginia's all-Big East swingman, once explained how current coach Bob Huggins differs from former coach John Beilein as such: Beilein teaches first and screams second. Huggins screams first, second and third and then gets down to the teaching. Given their coach's quick fuse and harsh critiques, one might expect the Mountaineers would have shed their penchant for listless starts by the 34th game of the season. Seriously, who among them could possibly enjoy heading to the first timeout knowing what's transpired to that point will send spittle and invective spewing from the mouth of Mount Huggins?
For whatever the reason, West Virginia has been incapable of shaking its malady. Like a sleeping engine on a winter's morning, the Mountaineers are simply slow to warm. And while the affliction might one day prove their undoing, Friday wasn't that day. If anything, West Virginia's 77-50 destruction of Morgan State at HSBC Arena spoke to the immensity of the Mountaineers' capabilities. They fell behind, 10-0. They needed almost eight minutes to score from the floor. And yet just seven minutes after their first field goal they had moved in front, by halftime they were up by double digits and the second half amounted to seven subs making early pitches for more playing time this season.
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BEST QUOTES OF THE DAY:
"Those damn 40-minute games," joked Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman. "If we had it at 12, we would have won the game."
"Coach Bob Huggins makes a mockery of the term "student-athlete"...even by today's threadbare standards. He once went four consecutive years at Cincinnati with a graduation rate of zero. Statistically speaking, you'd think at least one guy would get a diploma, just by accident. Nope. That's dedication, my friends." by SABREGUY29
One Morgan State fan who made the trip to Buffalo held up a sign that read "Do It 4 Big Ant."
"Just imagine waiting for Christmas, then on Christmas, they take it away from you," by Coach Todd Bozeman, MSU Bears.
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