MSU Gamenotes vs. Arkansas
Game 5
Morgan State (3-1) vs Arkansas (2-1)
Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009 - 8 p.m.
Bud Walton Arena - Fayetteville, Ark.
The Opening Tip
Morgan State, the 2009 MEAC champion, will play its third game in five days when they tip-off in non-conference action against the Arkansas Razorbacks. Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday at 8 p.m. in Bud Walton Arena. The game will mark the second ever match-up between the teams.
The Last Time Out
Despite missing their leading scorer on the floor, the Bears fought hard before eventually falling to the #22 Louisville 90-81 at Freedom Hall on Sunday afternoon. The loss snapped MSU's 3-game winning streak, and its best start in 31 years. DeWayne Jackson led the Bears with a season-high 21 points and Kevin Thompson added 16 points and 13 rebounds.
Razerbacks' Last Game
Arkansas freshman forward Marshawn Powell scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Razerbacks held off Appalachian State 81-72 in overtime Friday night.
Series History
Tuesday night's game will be the second meeting between Morgan State and Arkansas in men's basketball. The two teams square-off against each other on December 13,1986-87...Nolan Richardson's Razorbacks ended up defeating the Bears 106-57 in Fayetteville...Arkansas ended up posting a 19-14 record and ended up making it to the Second Round of the NIT, while Morgan State completed the season with an 8-20 record under head coach Nathaniel Frazier.
Road Swing
Following Arkansas, Morgan will continue the final leg of its three-game road swing when it travels to tip-off against Appalachian State (Nov. 28; 3 p.m.).
Nonconference Note
* Morgan State enters the game having won 5 of its last 7 non- conference meetings, including wins against Maryland, Towson, Albany, UMBC and ETSU.
Numbers Game
* Senior guard Reggie Holmes' 9 point output against #22 Louisville was his lowest scoring output since scoring 7 points at Hampton back on February 23, 2009.
* Freshman forward DeWayne Jackson finished with a game-high 21 points and was 4-for-8 from beyond the arc at #22 Louisivlle.
* Morgan State's win against Albany this season was the Bears first season-opener win since dropping Lincoln (91-50) in 1988.
* Prior to Morgan State's 82-54 loss to Oklahoma in MSU's first appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season, the Bears had won six consecutive games and 13 of its last 15.
* Morgan State finished the 2009-10 season ranked as high as No. 23 in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll and ranked No. 6 in the Washington Post Atlantic 11 Poll poll, and No. 1 in the Sheridan Broadcasting Network Black College Poll.
* The two returning starters are 2009 MEAC tournament MVP and 2008-09 leading scorer Reggie Holmes, and returning leading rebounder and 2009 MEAC All-Rookie Team selection Kevin Thompson.
* Senior guard and 2009-10 Preseason All-MEAC selection Reggie Holmes is averaging 25.3 ppg and 5.7 rpg thru three games so far this season, including a career-high 30 point outing against East Tennessee State on Thursday night in Baltimore.
* Kevin Thompson posted his first double-double of the season (7th career) during the Bears win at UMBC, finishing with 10 points, 10 boards with two blocked shots…He's averaging 9.7 ppg and 7 rpg so far this season.
* Todd Bozeman, who was named the 2009 Mid Major Coach of the Year, is in his 4th season as MSU's head coach and currently has a 71-41 record, and a 124-76 career mark.
