Game Dates: Saturday, January 31, 2015
Opponent: Howard Bison
Site: Burr Gymnasium, Washington, D.C.
Game Time: 4 p.m.
Record:  MSU 4-16 (2-4 MEAC)
Head Coach: Todd Bozeman (147-132 - 9th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com/www.HUbison.com
 
Game Notes  |  Live Audio  |  Twitter Updates 
 
BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State, who are coming off a 12-day break in the schedule, travels to face the Howard Bison (10-10, 4-2 MEAC) at The Burr Gymnasium on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 4 p.m. The Bears fell to 2-3 at home this season following a 65-58 loss against Bethune-Cookman. The Bison will attempt to win its first back-to-back game of the season, following a 45-42 victory at Bethune-Cookman. Saturday's game will be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9 FM and Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN).
 
IT'S OK TO BE A FOLLOWER
MSU men's basketball fans can follow their favorite team, or any of the other MSU athletics programs on Twitter through the handle @MorganStBears.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Jan. 19, 2015 -- Ricky Johnson scored 20 points and DeLino Dear had 11 with a career-high 16 rebounds to lead Bethune-Cookman to a 65-58 win over MSU.
The Wildcats finished 24 of 27 from the foul line, including 15 of 16 in the second half with the miss coming with 19 seconds left. Zech Smith scored 13 points and grabbed 14 rebounds for the Bears (4-16, 2-4), who were 11 of 20 from the foul line. Cedric Blossom and Blake Bozeman had 12 points apiece.

SCOUTING THE BISON
• Howard welcomed back 10 veterans, including five starters, from a squad that posted an 8-25 overall record, and finished T-8th in the MEAC with a 5-11 record.
• Kevin Nickleberry (Virginia Wesleyan '86) enters his fifth season as Howard's head men's basketball coach and he has guided the Bison to a 41-104 record, and 132-178 for his career.
• James "J-Byrd" Daniels is among the top scorers in the league averaging 16.0 ppg and is shooting almost 80 percent from the free throw line. James Carlton is adding 14.4 ppg and leads the team in rebounding (7.8 rpg), while James "JT" Miller has chipped in 12 ppg.
• James Carlton tied a career-high with 27 points and Howard won a free throw contest at the end to top Bethune-Cookman 45-42 on Monday. Howard trailed by one with 1:46 left, but Carlton and James Daniel went 7 of 7 from the line, while Bethune-Cookman was 3 of 6 in the same sequence, and Denzel Dulin missed a 3-point attempt with three seconds left.

FOR THE RECORD
The Morgan State Bears will square off against Howard for the 103rd meeting between the two schools. Morgan State holds a 61-41 advantage in the series since the 1950-51 season. Howard held a 66-65 lead with 27 seconds left at The Burr Gymnasium. Then a couple of timeouts later, Justin Black (20 pts) hit a 3-pointer clock with .8 seconds left to give the Bears a 68-66 overtime win. MSU has won 11 of the last 12 meetings.

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 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 UNKIND
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 20 games, including a trip to Cancun, Mexico.
• The Bears are currently in search of its first road win of the season, MSU is 0-12 on the road.
 
LOW TURNOVER
MSU has turned the ball over just 11 times per game in the first 20 games of the season (ranked No. 1 in turnover margin and No. 3 in assist/turnover ratio - 0.9).
• MSU posted a season-low 3 turnovers Jan. 2 in a loss at UC Northridge and Jan. 19 in a loss vs. BCU.
• Overall, the Bears have had fewer or equal turnovers than their opponents in the first 15 of 20 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
 
WINTER'S BLOSSOM
Junior forward Cedric Blossom (Montrose Christian HS) has had a solid start to the 2014-15 campaign after starting in 30 of 31 games and averaging 6.9 ppg and 5.3 rpg in 2013-14:
• He has led the team in scoring eight times this season.
• He has scored 10+ points in 16 games.
• His career-high 26 point effort vs. Florida A&M marked the sixth time he has recorded 20 or more points.
• He's currently the Bears leading scorer averaging 14.2 ppg and second leading rebounder with 6.8 rpg.

BENCH BOOST NEEDED
The Bears bench has outscored six of the last 20 opposing second units, and most recently matched the Wildcats reserves 15-15 on Jan. 19.
• The Bears second unit has outscored their counterparts six times this season.
• One of the Bears' four wins have come when their bench has outscored (or equals) the opposition's bench.
• The Bears bench unit scored a season-high 33 points against Maryland-Eastern Shore Jan. 12.

NEXT UP: The Bears play the Coppin State Eagles on Monday, February 2nd at CSU's Physical Education Complex in Baltimore, Md. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU.
 
2015 MEAC Basketball Tournament Tickets are on SALE NOW!
The 2015 MEAC Tournament is March 9-14 at the Norfolk Scope Arena?Norfolk, Virginia. Ticket books are on sale for $100 at the MSU Box Office located at the Morgan State University Student Center.
To purchase tickets, call the MEAC office at 757-951-2055 or contact your institution's ticketing office.  Tickets can also be purchased by visiting the MSU Box Office at the Student Center.Ticketmaster.com or calling them at 1-800-745-3000.  You may also contact the Scope Arena box office at 757-664-6464.