Men's Basketball | 11/21/2014 7:31:00 PM

Gamenotes (PDF)

ESPN3

LIVE Stats

Game 4
Saturday, Nov. 22, 2014
Opponent: Houston Cougars (1-0)
Site: Hofheinz Pavilion, Houston, Texas
Game Time: 8 p.m. (CT)
Internet Broadcast: ESPN3
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (143-118 - 9th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com / www.UHCougars.com
  
BALTIMORE, Md. —  Morgan State will play its fourth game in nine days when it travels south to take on the Houston Cougars at Hofheinz Pavilion on Saturday, November 22. The matchup is a part of the 2014 Cancun Challenge. Tip-off is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT). The game will be broacast on ESPN3. There will be live updates throughout the game available on Twitter @MorganStBears.

SCOUTING THE COUGARS
Houston welcomed back five letterwinners and a pair of starters, from a squad that posted a 17-16 overall record, and finished in sixth place with an 8-10 mark in the American Athletic Conference. . Kelvin Sampson enters his first season as the Cougars head men's basketball coach. He currently holds a 501-270 career record in his 26th year as a head coach. Devonta Pollard scored 19 points and Jherrod Stiggers added 17 as Houston held on to beat Murray State 77-74 in the Cougars' season opener last Friday night. Houston outrebounded the Racers 42-38, but committed 17 turnovers.
 
LAST TIME OUT
November 20, 2014 -- UNI had five players score in double figures, and used a 21-4 run to help the Panthers pull away to beat Morgan State 73-53 in the first round of the Cancun Challenge. The Bears were led by Bozeman who finished with a career-high 19 points (7-17 FG). Rasean Simpson and Donte Pretlow also chipped in 6 points. Zech Smith had a game-high eight rebounds with 5 points.
UNI finished the night shooting 55 percent from the field and connected on 24 of 34 free throws. 
 
 FIRST MEETING
The Morgan State Bears will square off against Houston for the first meeting in history between the two schools.
 
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.
 
BLAKE 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. He's currently the Bears second leading scorer averaging 7.7 ppg with 5.7 rpg.
 
LOW TURNOVER: MSU has turned the ball over just 36.0 times per game in the first three games of the season.
- MSU posted a season-low 10 turnovers Nov. 17 vs. Towson. 
- Overall, the Bears have had fewer or equal turnovers than their opponents in the first 2 of 3 games so far this season.
 
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).
 
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
 
NEXT UP
The Bears will travel to face Elon on Tuesday, November 25 in Cancun, Mexico for the third round of the Cancun Challenge. Tip-off is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya.