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Friday, Nov. 14, 2014
Opponent: Penn State Nittany Lions (0-0)
Site: Bryce Jordan Center, University Park, Pa.
Game Time: 7 p.m. (ET)
Television: Big Ten Network Plus
Radio: Penn State Sports Network
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (143-116 - 9th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com / www.gopsusports.com
  
BALTIMORE, Md. —  The Morgan State Bears open the 2014-15 campaign on the road against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Friday, Nov. 14th. It will mark the fifth basketball meeting between the teams. Tip-off at Bryce Jordan Center is scheduled for 7 p.m. and the game will be televised by the Big Ten Network Plus. The game will also be radio broadcast by the Penn State Sports Network.
 
SCOUTING THE NITTANY LIONS
Penn State welcomed back 10 veterans, including four starters, from a squad that posted a 16-18 overall record, finished 6-12 in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions enter the upcoming season with the most veteran team in recent history. A senior class of five is highlighted by All-Big Ten guard and second-leading scorer D.J. Newbill and Ross Travis, the conference's second-leading returning rebounder. The nine total returning letterwinners account for more than 70 percent of scoring and rebounding from last year, a season punctuated by a sweep of Top 25 Ohio State and the program's 20th postseason appearance. Patrick Chambers (Philadelphia '94) enters his fourth season as the Nittany Lions head men's basketball coach and he currently holds a 38-59 record, and 80-87 in six years of coaching.
 
LAST TIME OUT
March 16, 2014 -- Jeremy Ingram scored a game-high 29 points, but it was some deft free throw shooting that proved to be the difference as North Carolina Central pulled away to a 71-62 win over Morgan State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament championship at the Norfolk Scope. The teams battled back and forth in the first 20 minutes like two heavyweight champions.  There were six ties and three lead changes with neither team leading by more than four. Ian Chiles led the Bears with 26 points, Anthony Hubbard chipped in with 12 and Blake Bozeman contributed 10.  Justin Black, who came into the game averaging 29 points in the two games, scored all of his nine points after intermission.
 
WE MEET AGAIN
The Morgan State Bears will square off against the Nittany Lions for the 5^th meeting between the two schools. Penn State holds a 5-0 advantage in the series since the 1985-86 season.
 
BEARS SET FOR CANCUN CHALLENGE
The Morgan State men's basketball team will compete in the 2014 Cancun Challenge Tournament, November 25-26 at the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya near Cancun, Mexico. The Bears will compete in the Mayan Division along with North Florida, Elon and Liberty. The Riviera Division will include Virginia Teach, Miami (Ohio), Northern Iowa and Northwestern. The tournament begins with eight games played in the United State between November 19-30 with the four teams in the Riviera Division hosting the four teams in the Mayan Division before all eight travel to Cancun to play two games for their respective division championships. All four games of the Riviera Division will be nationally televised live in HD from the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya on CBS Sports Network. The Mayan Division games will be webcast live on CBSsports.com, ULive.
 
MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2014-15 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball preseason poll behind defending regular season champion North Carolina Central.
 
BOZEMAN EARNS PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior guard Blake Bozeman was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors.
 
BOZEMAN LOOKS FOR ANOTHER 20-WIN SEASON
For three of the last eight seasons, all as head coach, Todd Bozeman has guided teams to at least 20 victories. Bozeman set the Morgan State record for consecutive 20-win campaigns in 2007-08 with a 22-11 record and extended it with a 23-12 campaign in 2008-09, followed by a Division I school record 27-11 record in 2009-10. The previous record was back-to-back 20-win seasons under coach Nathaniel Frazier when he guided the Bears to a 20-8 record in 1972-73, followed by 28-5 in 1973-74.
 
BOZEMAN IN THE MEAC FACTS
• Morgan State has made six MEAC Tournament Championship appearances in eight seasons under head coach Todd Bozeman.
• The Bears have won a pair of MEAC Tournaments titles (2009 & 2010).
• Bozeman has led the Bears to 17 of the school's 32 MEAC Tournament wins.
• He was the 2009 and 2010 Outstanding Coach of the MEAC Tournament.
• Morgan State has advanced to the MEAC Semifinals seven times in the last eight seasons under Bozeman.
 
ROAD WARRIORS
The Bears finished 5-9 in true road contests and 3-3 on neutral floors in 2013-14 and posted a 5-3 road conference ledger. This season's schedule will send MSU on the road for 14 games, including a trip to Cancun, Mexico.

A BLOSSOM ON THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
Cedric Blossom led the Bears with 82 offensive rebounds (ranked No. 4 in MEAC) last season. As a sophomore, the Greenbelt (Md.) native started in 30 of 31 games and averaged 6.9 ppg, 5.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes. He had a sensational game at Maryland-Eastern Shore (Feb. 17) where he posted a career-high 20 points and 11 rebounds – it marked the third double-double of his career.

FATHER & SON COMBO
Morgan State is one of nine Division I teams that feature a father-son combo. The following is the list of D1 father-son combos:
Todd & Blake Bozeman – Morgan State
Billy & Billy Donovan – Florida
Ron & R.J. Hunter – Georgia State
Dale & Ethan Layer – Liberty
Craig & Cullen Neal – New Mexico
Keith & Lance Richard – UL Monroe
Bill & Tyler Self - Kansas
 
FRESH FACES
Morgan State's roster includes eight (8) newcomers in graduate students Jordan Omogbehin (C) and Zech Smith (C), redshirt sophomore Cliff Cornish (F), and freshmen Jamar Redmond (G), Conrad Chambers (G), Clive 'C.J.' Vaughan Jr. (G), Jeremiah Curtis (F) and Anthony 'A.J.' Vernon (F).
 
BEWARE THE BEAR
Under the direction of Todd Bozeman, Morgan State has collected a couple of memorable wins against big-time opponents. The Bears have recorded historic wins against: Long Island (2009); Manhattan (2009); Arkansas (2009); DePaul (2008); and Maryland (2009).
 
UP NEXT
The Bears will host the Towson Tigers on Monday, Nov. 17. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hill Field House.