ORANGEBURG, SC – SC State snapped a nine-game losing streak Monday as guard Tiara Knotts scored 23 points, including a layup with 6.7 seconds left, to lead the Lady Bulldogs past Morgan State 60-57 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center.

Coach Doug Robertson's team, whose last win was a 47-35 home triumph over Delaware State Jan. 10, improved to 7-15 overall and 3-9 in the league.

Knotts was supported in the Lady Bulldog effort by Tracey Flowers with nine points, including four in the last three minutes, and Trinese Fox with seven. Fannie Goodwin grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds for SC State, which enjoyed a 47-34 edge on the glass.

Jamesia Smith led three Lady Bear players in double figures with 15 points. Brittany Dodson added 11 points and Erin Hawkins 10 for Morgan State, which dropped its second in a row to dip to 14-10 on the season and 8-3 in the MEAC.

SC State took control early, jumping out to a 15-6 lead on a 3-pointer by reserve guard LaTeia Brailey with 12:51 left in the opening half. The Lady Bulldogs built their lead to 11, 31-20, on a short jumper by Fox at 4:36 of the period, however, the Lady Bears closed out the half with a 14-4 run to close the gap to 35-34 at the break. The visitors hit the last nine points of the period, all on 3-pointers.

SC State scored 12 of the first 16 points of the final stanza to go ahead 47-38 on the fourth 3-pointer of the game by Knotts with 11:43 remaining. Morgan State, however, roared back with a 17-8 run, capped by five straight points by Moneshia Davis, to deadlock the contest at 55-all with 2:13 on the clock.

Flowers got a layup and Knotts made one of two from the line to push the Lady Bulldogs ahead 58-55 with 45.8 ticks on the clock, but two free throws by Hawkins pulled the visitors to within one at 58-57 with 20.4 seconds left.

The Bears took a timeout and almost came up with a steal, but SC State's Whitney Wiley tipped the loose ball to Knotts near midcourt and the Columbia sophomore raced down court for a layup and a 60-57 Lady Bulldog advantage with 6.7 seconds to play.

Morgan took its final timeout to set up a potential-tying 3-pointer, but Hawkins' attempt was off the mark, preserving the much-needed win for SC State.

The Lady Bulldogs will resume their schedule Feb. 19 when they host North Carolina A&T in the first game of an MEAC doubleheader, beginning at 2 p.m.
--30--