Kevin Thompson leads the Bears on the glass, averaging 10.5 boards per game.
MSU Gamenotes
Game 3
Morgan State (1-1, 0-0 MEAC) at LaSalle (2-1, 0-0 Atlantic 10)
Saturday, Nov. 20, 2010 – 3 p.m. (ET)
Tom Gola Arena – Philadelphia, Pa.
Television – n/a
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com; www.GoExplorers.com
The Opening Tip
Morgan State (No. 24 in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll), the 2010 MEAC champions, faces LaSalle on Saturday, Nov. 20 at 3 p.m. in Tom Gola Arena. MSU 1-1 following a 77-55 loss at Providence on Wednesday, Nov. 18, and LaSalle improved to 2-1 after topping Prairie View A&M at home 88-74. There will be live webcast at www.GoExplorers.com. The game will mark the fourth meeting between the teams.
The Last Time Out
The Bears fought hard before eventually falling to the Friars 77-55 at Duncan Donuts Center on Thursday night. It marked MSU's first loss of the season. Junior forward Kevin Thompson led Morgan State (1-1) and notched his second double-double of the season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
LaSalle's Last Game
PHILADELPHIA - Behind a career-high tying 21 points and 14 rebounds from senior Jerrell Williams, the Explorers defeated Prairie View A&M, 88-74, in the Cancun Challenge opener for both teams. Williams was one of three La Salle players to hit double figures. Senior Ruben Guillandeaux posted 17 points while Aaric Murray notched 19 points and added six rebounds, despite seeing limited action in the first half while in foul trouble.
Series History
Saturday's game will be the fourth meeting between Morgan State and LaSalle in men's basketball. The Explorers hold a 3-0 series lead against the Bears. The Explorers lead the series 2-1 and won their last meeting 93-87 in 2007.
Thompson's Hospitality
♦ MSU junior Kevin Thompson is set to lead the Bears this season...the 6-foot-9 forward was the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and was the league's most dominant post player during the 2009-10 season ... As a sophomore, Thompson averaged 12.7 points per game, 11.9 rebounds (4th best in the nation) and completed the season with 22 double-doubles (pts & rebs). He has started the 2010-11 season by notching back-to-back double-double performances.
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.
Frequent Flyer Miles
Morgan State starts the season off with a couple of non-conference games located nowhere near 1700 East Cold Spring Lane. The Bears travelled 2,293 miles to play Loyola Marymount, followed by a 323 mile trip to Providence and will have a relatively short trip 89 miles to LaSalle. The Bears also play in the Cancun Challenge where they will need a passport to fly 1,390 to Mexico on Nov. 23-24.
♦Morgan State is ranked 24th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, marking its 1st week ranked among the top Mid-Majors in the country.
♦ Morgan State completed the 2009-10 season as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champs, it marked the Bears second consecutive MEAC Title and they also captured their third consecutive regular season title.
♦ DeWayne Jackson, the 2010 MEAC Rookie of the Year, had a career-high 31 point explosion against Loyola Marymount in the Bears season-opener, but was held to 6 points (0-5 3FG) during the loss at Providence.
♦ Morgan State was picked to finish as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference champs again this year … the Bears received 20 first place votes and totaled 476 points to garner the league's top position for the second year in a row.
