BALTIMORE, Md. -- With the 2012 Sears Bracketbusters officially announced on Monday evening, the Morgan State men's basketball team will host the Liberty Flames of the Big South Conference on Feb. 18 at Hill Field House. Game time has yet to be determined.
This will be Morgan State's fourth appearance competing in the series and they will be serving as host for the second time. Last season, MSU hosted VMI in the 2011 Sears BracketBusters, and came away with a 67-62 victory (Feb. 19, 2011).
The last meeting between the Bears and the Flames occurred nearly 30 years ago, as Liberty bested Morgan State, 68-51 on Jan. 22, 1983. As part of the agreement, Morgan State and Liberty will schedule a return meeting in November or December of the 2013-14 season. The rematch will take place in the Vines Center in Lynchburg, Va.
All of the Big South's men's basketball programs are participating in the same year for the first time, and the conference has the second-most members competing of the 16 leagues involved this season.
Hampton and Delaware State are the only other two teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference participating in the 2012 Sears Bracketbusters, while 11 Big South members are among the overall field of 142 teams, the event's largest pool ever.
The Bears hold a 2-1 as the only MEAC team to have participated in the Bracketbusters. MSU defeated Towson, 80-64, in 2009, fell to Murray State, 75-66, in 2010 and beat VMI 66-62 in 2011.
The Big South is 8-16 all-time in the BracketBusters, including two wins in 2006, 2007 and 2010. The conference also has been selected for national television appearances four times in the past five years: 2007 (ESPN2), 2008 (ESPN2), 2009 (ESPNU) and 2011 (ESPNU).
