Click for GAMEDAY 

GAME 9: MANHATTAN JASPERS  (2-7, 0-0 MAAC)
Sunday, December 20, 2015 • 1:00 p.m. • Hill Field House • Baltimore, Md.
Live Video Stream: www.morganstatebears.com
Radio: Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com) and Sirius XM 113
Series Record: Manhattan leads 2-1
Head Coaches: MSU - Todd Bozeman (152-146, 10th yr) • MC – Steve Masiello (80-53, 5th)
Website: MSU - www.morganstatebears.com; www.gojaspers.com

BEARS HOST THE MANHATTAN JASPERS SUNDAY AT HILL FIELD HOUSE
The Morgan State Bears will begin a three-game homestand Sunday, December 20 against Manhattan Jaspers. It will mark the third meeting between the teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 1 p.m at Hill Field House.

PREVIEWING THE JASPERS
• Manhattan returns two starters and 10 letterwinners from its 2014-15 squad that went 19-14, and went 13-7 and placed third in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play. The Jaspers won the MAAC Tournament and lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament.

• Steve Masiello (Kentucky) enters his 5th season as the Jaspers' head men's basketball coach. He currently holds a 79-53 record. He has led the Jaspers to back-to-back MAAC Titles and subsequent trips to the NCAA Tournament. During his playing career, Kentucky went to the Final Four twice (1997 & 98), advancing to the National Championship game both times and winning the title in 1998.

• Manhattan was picked T-3rd in the 2015-16 MAAC Preseason Poll.

• Senior forward Shane Richards (6-5, 185) is currently leading the Jaspers by averaging 17.7 points per game on 35 percent (46-133) shooting from the field. The preseason All-MAAC Second Team selection has also connected on 48-of-60 (.800) from the free throw line through the first nine games.

• Manhattan is shooting 40 percent from the floor as a team and has connected on 62-of-190 (.326) 3-pointers.

• The Jaspers enter Sunday's contest coming off a 71-60 home victory over St. Francis Brooklyn on Monday inside Draddy Gymnasium. Manhattan shot 55.6 percent from the field, made 8-of-13 from 3-point territory and 13-of-17 from the stripe. The Jaspers had three players score in double figures, led by Shane Richards with 19 points and Rich Williams, who posted 15 points and Zane Waterman added 13 points (5-6 FG). 

THE SERIES
• Sunday will mark the fourth meeting between the teams and the Jaspers lead the series 2-1 since 2008.

• Dec. 20, 2014 - Shane Richards scored 20 points and made four free throws on one trip to spark Manhattan's late run past Morgan State 73-69. MSU's Blake Bozeman was called for a personal foul and technical foul on the same play with 3:02 left, sending Richards to the foul line. Richards tied the game by making all four and sparked a 12-4 run to close out the game. Zech Smith led the Bears with a season-high 19 points (8-10 FG) and 15 rebounds. Cedric Blossom poured in 18 points.

• Dec. 12, 2009 - Reggie Holmes scored a game-high 31 points and helped Morgan State open a 10-point lead midway through the second half, and the Bears held off a late rally by Manhattan to win 83-74 at Hill Field House. Kevin Thompson collected his eighth double-double of the season by posting 13 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with four blocked shots. Troy Smith had 12 points and added three steals and three assists off of the bench.
 
NEXT UP
Morgan State will host the Rider Broncos in non-conference action on Wednesday, Dec. 23. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Hill Field House. The game will mark the first meeting between the teams.
 
AT THE HELM
Todd Bozeman enters his 10th year at the helm as Morgan State men's head coach. The Bears have participated in six of the last nine MEAC Tournament championships, captured back-to-back-MEAC Titles, and made appearances in the NIT and two NCAA Tournaments.
 
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).
 
HOME GROWN 
Morgan State has five (5) players from the DMV (D.C., Maryland & Metropolitan-D.C.) area, including two from Baltimore. Senior Donte Pretlow (Dunbar High) and redshirt junior Cliff Cornish (North County) are both from Baltimore. Senior Cedric Blossom (Montrose Christian) is from Columbia and senior Andrew Hampton is from Germantown (Seneca Valley), while freshman Anthony Tate (Takoma Academy) is from Fort Washington.
 
COMFORTABLE AT HILL FIELD HOUSE
Todd Bozeman has won at least 10 home games in three of his eight seasons in Baltimore. The 2007-08 (12-1) and 2009-10 (11-1) squads finished with just a single loss, while the 2010-11 squad went 10-2. Bozeman has led the Bears to a 72-30 (.705) overall home record at Hill Field House.
 
BEAR BITS
• Kyle Thomas, a 6-foot-7, junior forward, currently leads the Bears in scoring and scored a career-high 19 points at High Point (Nov. 28). The Owings Mills, Md. native is currently averaging 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and has seven blocked shots.
 
• Andre Horne Jr. currently ranks second on the team in scoring and dropped a season-high 27 points on Towson (Nov. 16) where he was 5-of-10 from 3-point territory. The 6-4 transfer from South Plaines C.C. is averaging 11.0 points and is shooting 43 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc. He's also near perfect from the free throw line where he's gone 18-of-19.
 
• Williston State transfer Phillip Carr is becoming a force on the glass for the Bears. The 6-8 forward is almost averaging a double-double with 9.6 points and 8.4 rebounds in eight games. He posted a season-best 17 rebounds and finished with 14 points in the Bears home-opener win against Goldey-Beacom (Nov. 23). He has pulled down nine or more rebounds in four of the last five games.
 
• Freshman point guard Martez Cameron has wasted little time in taking his court vision to the collegiate level. The 5-11 Chicago product leads the Bears with 30 assists (3.8 apg), including 2.4 points and 3.0 rebounds.
 
• MSU connected on a season-high 20-of-28 free throws in a win against Goldey-Beacom (Nov. 23). The Bears are shooting 67 percent (80-120) from the charity stripe so far this season.