MSU Gamenotes
Game 11
Morgan State (6-4) vs Towson (3-5)
Tuesday, Dec. 22, 2009 – 7:00 p.m. (ET)
Hill Field House – Baltimore, Md.
The Opening Tip
Morgan State (6-4, 1-0 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), the 2009 MEAC champion, will play its final game of 2009 when they host non-conference opponent Towson (3-5). The game will mark the 10th non-conference game of the season for the Bears. Tip-off is scheduled for Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Hill Field House in Baltimore. The game will mark the 24th match-up between the teams and will be broadcast locally by WEAA, 88.9 FM.
The Last Time Out
Reggie Holmes scored a game-high 31 points and helped Morgan State open a 10-point lead midway through the second half, and the Bears held off a late rally by Manhattan to win 83-74 Saturday at Hill Field House. The Bears improved to 6-4 for the season after notching its first win against the Jaspers, who beat MSU 61-60 last season on a last second basket in the first meeting between the teams.
Tigers' Last Game
TOWSON, Md. -- Calvin Lee scored 18 points and Troy Franklin finished with 17 to lead Towson to an 82-74 win over Hampton on Sunday. Robert Nwankwo added 11 points and a career-high 18 rebounds for the Tigers (3-5), while RaShawn Polk chipped in with 12 points.
Series History
Tuesday night's game will be the 24th meeting between Morgan State and Towson in men's basketball. The Bears own a 12-11 series advantage against the Tigers, including two of the last three meetings.
Home For The Holidays
♦ Todd Bozeman has coached the Bears to a terrific home record in his three seasons as MSU head coach.
♦ Bozeman has led the Bears to a 26-5 (.841) current home record inside the confines of Hill Field House, including the Bears 83-74 win over Manhattan on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Holming In
♦ Morgan State senior guard Reggie Holmes will enter Tuesday night's contest averaging 25.1 points per game, including four 30 point outings thru 10 games. He currently leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring and ranks in the NCAA Top 10 (ranked No. 3 thru Dec. 19).
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 eighth double-double of the season (14th career) during the Bears win against Manhattan, finishing with 13 points and a game-high 12 boards to go along with four blocks.
Numbers Game
♦ Morgan State enters the game having won 7 of its last 11 non-conference meetings, including wins against Maryland, Arkansas, Towson, Albany, UMBC, East Tennessee State and Manhattan.
♦ Reggie Holmes has scored 20 or more points in nine out of 10 games, and has scored 30 or better four 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 77.6 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.
