Game 8
Morgan State (4-3) vs Coppin State (4-2)
Saturday, Dec. 5, 2009 – 4:00 p.m.
Physical Education Complex – Baltimore, Md.
The Opening Tip
Morgan State, the 2009 MEAC champion, will play its fifth of six straight road games when they challenge cross-town rival Coppin State in the first conference game of the season. Tip-off is scheduled for Saturday at 4 p.m. in Coppin State's brand new arena. The game will mark the 70th match-up between the teams.
The Last Time Out
Reggie Holmes scored 19 of his game-high 31 points in the first half, but Morgan State was unable to recover from a second half spurt as Loyola University Maryland pulled away with a 78-66 victory Tuesday night at Reitz Arena in a regionally televised non-conference contest. Kevin Thompson added 16 points and 14 rebounds, while DeWayne Jackson chipped in 11.
Eagles' Last Game
Nikola Vucevic scored 15 points and grabbed 12 rebounds and Southern California snapped Coppin State's two-game winning streak with a 74-43 victory over the Eagles on Friday at the Galen Center.
Series History
Saturday night's game will be the 70th meeting between Morgan State and Coppin State in men's basketball. The Eagles lead the series 49-18. Morgan State currently has a three-game winning streak against the Eagles, including 5 of the last 6.
Holming In
♦ Morgan State senior guard Reggie Holmes will enter this weekend's contest averaging 24.7 points per game, including three 30 point outings thru seven games. He currently leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring and ranks in the NCAA Top 10 (ranked No. 9 thru Nov. 30).
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 became the first Bear ever to be selected to the team. Thompson posted his fifth double-double of the season (11th career) during the Bears loss at Loyola, finishing with 16 points and 14 boards.
Numbers Game
♦ Reggie Holmes has scored 20 or more points in six out of 7 games, and has scored 30 or better three times so far this season.
♦ MSU guard Danny Smith saw his first action in three games when the Bears played at Loyola on Tuesday night ... the junior transfer logged 20 minutes and finished with two assists and a steal.
♦ MSU's is averaging 78.4 points per game and has posted 90 or more points twice so far this season
♦ Sophomore point guard Sean Thomas dished out a career-best 10 assists in an overtime loss at Appalachian State on November 28.
♦ 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...He made up for it in the Bears very next game by scoring a career-high 34 points to help MSU notch its first win against an SEC opponent.
♦ Freshman forward DeWayne Jackson finished with a game-high 21 points and was 4-for-8 from beyond the arc at #22 Louisville.
♦ 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.
