MSU Gamenotes
Game 33
Morgan State (23-9, 14-1 MEAC) vs. Coppin State (8-20, 3-12 MEAC)
Thursday, March. 4, 2010 – 7:30 p.m. (ET)
Hill Field House – Baltimore, Md.
Television – n/a
Radio – WEAA, 88.9 FM
The Opening Tip
No. 20 Morgan State, the 2009-10 MEAC regular season champions, will host cross-town rival Coppin State on Thursday, March 4th. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. at Hill Field House and will be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9 FM. The game will mark "Senior Night" for the Bears.
The Last Time Out
Reggie Holmes scored 32 points to pace Morgan State to an 81-67 win over North Carolina A&T on Monday night. Holmes shot 11-for-22 from the field, including 8-for-13 from 3-point range. His eight 3-pointers set a school record.
Coppin State’s Last Game
BALTIMORE -- Brandon Wheeless scored 16 points and Kyle O'Quinn had 14 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season as Norfolk State defeated Coppin State 67-57 on Monday night. The Eagles (8-20, 3-12) came within a point on two occasions, the last at 43-42 with 12:32 left, but Norfolk State went on a 12-3 run.
Series History
Thursday’s game will be the 71st meeting between Morgan State and Coppin State in men’s basketball. Coppin State holds a 49-19 all-time record against the Bears since the series began during the 1975-76 season ... In the first meeting between the teams, the Bears defeated Coppin State by a score of 77-76 ... The Bears have won in six of the last seven meetings, including the last four straight meetings ... The last time Eagles defeated Morgan State was during a 62-60 victory in the 2008 MEAC Tournament Championship game.
Holming In
♦ Morgan State senior guard Reggie Holmes will enter Monday's contest averaging 22 points per game, including five 30 point outings thru 32 games. He currently leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring and ranks in the NCAA Top 10 (ranked No. 9).
Thompson’s Hospitality
♦ Morgan State forward Kevin Thompson was named to the Freshmen Mid-Major All-America team by Collegeinsider.com at the end of the last season. Thompson posted his 19th double-double of the season (25th career) when he finished with 20 points and 14 rebounds in a double-overtime win against Norfolk State on Feb.27. Thompson is among the nation's leaders in rebounds ... he ranks No. 4 (11.7 rpg) and has posted 25 rebounds in a game which is an NCAA single-game high for this season.
Numbers Game
♦ Morgan State had an 11-game winning streak snapped by S.C. State on Feb. 15 and bounced back with a win against the MEAC's No. 2 ranked Delaware State on Feb. 17 ... The Bears have won 18 of its last 23 games.
♦Morgan State is ranked 20th in the CollegeInsider. com Mid-Major Poll, marking its 5th week ranked among the top Mid-Majors in the country.
♦ Reggie Holmes has poured in 1,958 career points and needs 33 points to pass Marvin Webster as the school’s all-time leading scorer … Webster scored 1,990 from 1971-75 and has held the record for 35 years.
♦ Prior to the S.C. State loss, MSU had won 12 straight regular season conference games since last year.
♦ Senior guard Troy Smith scored a career-best with 19 points in a win against Norfolk State (March 1).
♦ As a result of clinching the MEAC regular season conference championship, the Bears are guaranteed to play in the postseason for the third straight year.
♦The Bears shot a season-high 54.5% (30-55 FG) from the field and outscored Winston-Salem State in the paint 42-to-32.
♦ Morgan State is 17-4 when scoring 70 or more points, with losses coming at Louisville (81-90), Appalachian State in overtime (92-93) and a tough loss at Robert Morris (78-75).
♦ The final 3 minutes has been critical in the Bears’ success this season… Morgan State is 20-2 this season when leading with 3 minutes to go and 3-7 when trailing with 3 minutes left.
♦ Morgan State’s Reggie Holmes has been named the MEAC Player of the Week five times so far this season and Kevin Thompson has also been named seven times as Defensive Player of the Week and twice as the MEAC Player of the Week