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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:42 p.m., Saturday, March 14, 2009

CBKB: Morgan St. tops Norfolk St. 83-69 for 1st MEAC win

By JOEDY McCREARY
AP Sports Writer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Reggie Holmes scored 20 points and Morgan State claimed its first NCAA tournament berth by beating Norfolk State 83-69 on Saturday night in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship game.

Jermaine Bolden added 18 points and Kevin Thompson had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the top-seeded Bears (23-11).

They reeled off 18 consecutive points in the first half and 11 straight in the second, shot 49 percent and figured out the Spartans' energetic full-court press in plenty of time to send two-time MEAC coach of the year Todd Bozeman to his first NCAA tournament since he guided California there in the mid-1990s.

The next stop for these Bears: The sport's grandest stage, most likely as either a 15th or 16th seed.