Game 16
Morgan State (8-7, 4-0 MEAC) vs. Delaware State (7-9, 3-1 MEAC)
Saturday, Jan. 22, 2011 – 4:00 p.m.
Memorial Hall – Dover, Del.
Radio Live Stream – Heritage Sports Network – go to HSRN.com
Television – N/A
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com; www.DSUHornets.com
Follow Morgan State men's basketball on twitter @morganstbears for in-game updates and the latest news on the squad.
The Opening Tip
Morgan State, the 2010 MEAC champions, will face Delaware State on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 4 p.m. at Memorial Hall in Dover, Del. MSU 8-7 will attempt to build upon a 71-55 conference win in an ESPN2 televised game against South Carolina State last Saturday at Hill Field House. Delaware State dropped Florida A&M 62-57 Monday night in Dover. The win improved the Hornets to 7-9 overall and 3-1 in the MEAC.
The Last Time Out
BALTIMORE, Md. – Aric Brooks scored a game-high 16 points to lead Morgan State to a 71-55 victory over South Carolina State on Saturday night in an ESPN2 nationally televised contest. The Bears recorded their third straight victory and improved to 8-7 overall and remain unblemished in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 4-0 record.
Delaware State's Last Game
DOVER, Del. -- Casey Walker scored a game-high 24 points, while Jay Threatt recorded 12 points, six assists and five steals to lead Delaware State to a 62-57 MEAC victory over Florida A&M in Memorial Hall Monday evening. The Hornets won for the third time in four games to improve to 7-9 overall and 3-1 in the MEAC.
The Series vs. The Hornets
♦ Saturday night's game will be the 85th meeting between MSU and Delaware State in men's basketball.
♦ The Bears hold a 46-38 advantage in the series ... MSU has won the last seven meetings against Delaware State.
♦ The last time the Hornets defeated MSU was during the 2007 MEAC Basketball Tournament semifinals when they dropped the Bears 56-53 in overtime in Raleigh, N.C.
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 averaging 13 ppg and 9.3 notching eight double-double performances in 13 games, including a 25 points and 10 rebounds outing against LaSalle (Nov. 20) and will enter the Saturday's contest fresh off of recording 13 points and 8 rebounds in a win over South Carolina State.
Numbers Game
♦ DSU will attempt to slow down the No. 3 ranked scoring team (69.2) in the MEAC when they host Morgan State on Saturday ... The Hornets have the conference's No. 2 ranked scoring defense and have limited opponents to an average of 63.2 points per game.
♦ DeWayne Jackson, the 2010 MEAC Rookie of the Year, has posted 117 points in the Bears' last four games (23.4 ppg), including his second-best scoring performance of the season when he led the Bears with 29 points at Baylor on Jan. 4th … Jackson also recorded a career-high 10 rebounds during the Bears win against South Carolina State on Jan. 15th.
♦ 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.
♦ 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.
♦ Morgan State has posted a 1-5 record when two Bears score in double-figures in a game ... The only time the Bears posted a win with two player scoring in double-digits was against Robert Morris (Dec. 30).
♦ The Bears had four players score in double-figures during their win against Hampton on Jan. 10 ... DeWayne Jackson (21), Kevin Thompson (19), Aric Brooks and (18), Ameer Ali (10).
♦ Morgan State's junior captain Ameer Ali replaced Kevin Thompson in the starting lineup when the Bears defeated Robert Morris at Hill Field House on December 30, 2010 ... it marked Ali's first start of the 2010-11 season … Ali has started in the last five games.
♦ Following their matchup with Delaware State, the Bears will have two days to prepare for MD-Eastern Shore on Monday, January 24 at W.P. Hytche Athletic Center in Princess Anne, Md. ... Morgan State was able to grind out a 65-61 victory during the last meeting between the teams on February 22, 2010 in Princess Anne, Md. ... Kevin Thompson finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds and Ameer Ali added 10 points to help the Bears pull out a come-from-behind victory to help MSU clinch their third consecutive regular season Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship.
