Morgan St. 63, Bethune-Cookman 52

2/18/2008 9:14 PM

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -Jerrell Green scored 17 points and Marquise Kately added 12 to carry Morgan St. past Bethune-Cookman, 63-52, in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference basketball action Monday night.

The win improved league-leading Morgan St. to 16-9 for the season and 10-2 in the MEAC. The Bears have won nine of their last ten games.

Bethune-Cookman, which has lost four of its last six, fell to 10-16 overall and 4-8 in the conference.

John Holmes led Bethune-Cookman with 17 points, with Dominique Whatley and Dewayne Pettus chipping in 13 each.

Two other Bears scored in double figures, with Boubacar Coly and Jamar Smith netting 10 each. Coly also led all rebounders with 14, as the taller Bears dominated in that category, 31-21.

Green, who went 11-for-14 from the foul line, led the way as Morgan St. surged to a 13-point lead, 43-30, with 10:06 to play. Bethune-Cookman's Holmes worked mostly inside in helping the Wildcats close the margin back to seven, 45-38, with 6:31 to play. But Bethune-Cookman could get no closer, as the Bears gradually pulled away.

A 12-4 run by the Bears late in the first half enabled them to take a 29-21 lead at intermission. Kately and Green did most of the scoring during that segment.

Pettus' jumper with 13 seconds left before the break was Bethune-Cookman's only basket during the final 8:19 of the first half.