BALTIMORE (Interstat) — Morgan State escaped with a 64-63 victory over North Carolina Central in a women’s basketball game Thursday night at Hill Field House. The Bears secured their second win this season despite committing 21 turnovers. Morgan State erased a 29-22 halftime deficit with a 23-point third quarter, fueled by Kailyn Nash’s 17 points. The Eagles’ Morgan Callahan scored a game-high 20 points, including a late jumper, but Mihjae Hayes made two free throws with nine seconds left for the final margin. Both teams are near the bottom of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, with Morgan State improving to 2-16 and North Carolina Central falling to 3-12.

BALTIMORE (Interstat) — In a game defined by grit over grace, Mihjae Hayes sank two free throws with nine seconds remaining to lift Morgan State to a 64-63 victory over North Carolina Central in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference women’s basketball thriller on Thursday night at Hill Field House. The final sequence capped a frantic fourth quarter and delivered the Bears just their second win of the season against 16 losses, while the Eagles fell to 3-12. The contest, played before an intimate crowd of 407, was a stark contrast to the lopsided non-conference defeats that have marked both teams’ seasons. North Carolina Central, led by a game-high 20 points from junior forward Morgan Callahan of Beach Park, Illinois, controlled the first half. The Eagles used an active defense to build a 29-22 lead at intermission, capitalizing on 13 first-half turnovers by the Bears. Morgan State’s offensive struggles were pronounced, managing only nine points in the second quarter. The narrative flipped dramatically after halftime. Morgan State, ignited by the backcourt duo of Hayes and Kailyn Nash, erupted for a 23-point third quarter. Nash, a sophomore from Muskegon, Michigan, scored 11 of her team-high 17 points in the period, including a trio of baskets assisted by Hayes. The Bears’ 14-2 run to open the half transformed a seven-point deficit into a 45-41 lead, setting the stage for a tense finish. The fourth quarter saw five lead changes and three ties as neither team could secure separation. Callahan was a constant force for the Eagles, scoring eight points in the final period, mostly on determined drives to the basket. Her layup with 28 seconds left gave North Carolina Central a 63-62 edge, its last lead of the night. On the ensuing possession, Hayes, a sophomore from Philadelphia, drove into the lane and drew a foul on Callahan, her fifth, sending the Morgan State guard to the line for two shots. Hayes calmly made both, finishing with nine points and a crucial eight assists. North Carolina Central had one final chance. Out of a timeout, the Eagles worked the ball to Aniya Finger, but her contested three-point attempt from the wing as time expired missed, sealing the one-point victory for the home team. Beyond the scoring, the game was a sloppy affair, with the teams combining for 40 turnovers. Morgan State committed 21 giveaways but offset them with superior shooting efficiency, connecting on 52.1% from the field (25 of 48) compared to North Carolina Central’s 49% (25 of 51). The Eagles hurt themselves at the free-throw line, making only 10 of 16 attempts. Najah Lane added 12 points for North Carolina Central, while Jael Butler provided a vital interior presence for Morgan State with 11 points and two blocks. The Bears’ Jala Bannerman, from nearby Windsor Mill, Maryland, chipped in 10 points. The most critical phase of the game was unquestionably Morgan State’s third-quarter surge. After being held to 22 points in the entire first half, the Bears nearly matched that output in the third quarter alone, fundamentally altering the game’s momentum. This outburst, spearheaded by Nash’s scoring and Hayes’ playmaking, rescued them from a stagnant offensive first half and provided the necessary cushion to withstand North Carolina Central’s resilient fourth-quarter push. According to National Statistical’s ELO system, Morgan State entered with a slight 51.7% probability to win, a forecast borne out in the narrowest of margins. Both teams return to MEAC play on Saturday. North Carolina Central travels to face Coppin State, while Morgan State hosts South Carolina State.

Preview: North Carolina Central at Morgan State Women’s Basketball BALTIMORE (Interstat) — Two teams seeking a foothold in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference will meet Thursday when the North Carolina Central Eagles visit the Morgan State Bears at Hill Field House. Both programs enter the 2026 conference opener looking to reverse difficult starts to the season. The visiting Eagles are 3-11 overall, while the Bears sit at 1-16. North Carolina Central, led by forward Morgan Callahan, aims to rebound from a 68-48 home loss to Norfolk State on Saturday. Callahan, a consistent performer, logged 38 minutes in that defeat, contributing 10 points, six rebounds and two blocks. She is averaging 14.2 points and 6.6 rebounds over her last five games, including a 19-point, 10-rebound double-double in a win at Queens (N.C.) on Dec. 17. Morgan State, still searching for its first win since a Nov. 18 victory over Virginia Lynchburg, is coming off a narrow 68-61 road loss at Maryland-Eastern Shore. Guard Tiyanna James led the Bears in that contest, playing all 40 minutes and scoring 17 points. She has been a bright spot, averaging 10 points per game over her last three outings. The Eagles’ three wins this season have come against non-Division I Averett and MEAC foes Queens (N.C.) and North Carolina A&T. Morgan State’s lone victory was a 102-29 rout of Virginia Lynchburg in November, but the Bears have shown recent competitiveness with single-digit losses to Towson and Maryland-Eastern Shore. Thursday’s matchup represents a critical opportunity for both squads to gain early conference momentum before continuing their MEAC schedules on Saturday. North Carolina Central travels to face Coppin State, while Morgan State hosts South Carolina State. Tip-off is set for Thursday evening in Baltimore.