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Morgan State Notes | Norfolk State Notes | Live Stats

BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 3, 2015)-The Morgan State Lady Bears will entertain the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday afternoon in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference opener for both teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Hill Field House. This will be the Lady Bears first game at home since the season opener against Washington Adventist (Nov. 15). This will be the 34th meeting between the two teams with the Spartans holding a 20-13 lead.
 
BEAR CLAWS: The Lady Bears (1-6) are on a six-game losing skid, following a 76-44 loss at Robert Morris on Tuesday. Tykyrah Williams came off the bench to lead the way with a game-high 13 points, a team-high seven rebounds and a game-high two steals. Danielle Robinson also came off the bench and added 11 points. Morgan State has been led by Braennan Farrar, who is averaging 10.7 points and 3.1 assists per game. Williams is contributing 9.4 points and ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.1). Lexus Spears is adding 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds, while Zuri White leads the squad in rebounding with 5.3 per game. MSU ranks last (344^th) in the nation in field goal percentage (27.8). 
 
SPARTAN LEGION: Norfolk State (0-5) is coming off a 92-34 thumping at Mississippi State on Nov. 27 in Starkville, Miss. The Spartans were led by Koryn Lawrence, who totaled 12 points, four rebounds, three assists and a steal. Kayla Roberts hauled in a team-high seven rebounds and had two steals in the loss. Roberts leads the Spartans with 11.8 points and 9.6 rebounds per contest and has recorded nine steals. Lawrence is contributing 11.2 points and a team-leading 20 assists. Siobhan Beslow is chipping in with 10.8 points and 8.6 rebounds to go with a team-high seven blocked shots. 
 
MSU VS. NORFOLK STATE SERIES NOTES: Norfolk State leads the all-time series, 20-13. The Spartans have won five of the last six meetings, including last season's series sweep of the Lady Bears.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan will host the Lady Pirates of Hampton in a MEAC showdown on Monday, Dec. 7 at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House.
 
MORGAN STATE IN MEAC OPENERS: The Lady Bears, who will open up the 2015-16 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) slate at home against Norfolk State (12/5), are 5-5 in MEAC openers under head coach Donald Beasley, following last season's road loss to Norfolk State. This year's Norfolk State contest will mark just the sixth time in 17 season's that the Lady Bears will not open the MEAC season against crosstown rival Coppin State.
  
MAKE IT A DOUBLE: Sophomore Braennan Farrar recorded a double-double in the season opening win over Washington Adventist (11/15). The St. Louis, Mo. native tallied a game-high 22 points, while adding a career– and game-high 12 assists against the Lady Shock.
 
PROVIDING ASSISTANCE: Braennan Farrar dished out a career-best 12 assists against Washington Adventist (11/15). It surpassed her previous high of nine assists set last season against Wesley (11/18/14).
 
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears improved to 11-28 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following its 74-36 home victory over Washington Adventist (11/15). It was the first season opening win for the Lady Bears in three years, since a 72-61 home victory over the University of Maryland Baltimore County (11/9/12). Morgan State at one point had lost 23 straight season openers, prior to winning three straight from 2006-08. Last season the Lady Bears opened up on the road and suffered a 68-32 loss to Georgia (11/14/14).
 
MORGAN PICKED NINTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish ninth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason poll, as voted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Last year, the Lady Bears were picked to finish last (13th), but put together an 11-19 overall mark and finished 8-8 in the MEAC to finish seventh.
  
FARRAR NAMED TO PRESEASON MEAC SECOND TEAM: Sophomore guard Braennan Farrar was named to the Preseason All-MEAC second team. A native of St. Louis, Mo., Farrar was second on the team in scoring (13.9), while leading the Lady Bears in assists with 2.6 per game. She also led the team in steals (67) and three-pointers made (45).
 
BEASLEY ALL-TIME COACHIING LEADER: Morgan State head coach Donald Beasley, who is in his 11th year at the helm of the Lady Bears, became the program's all-time coaching leader last season. Beasley, who surpassed LaRue Fields (122-60 from 1979-85), as the winningest coach (123-166), following a 57-50 win over Florida A&M (1/17/15), currently holds a 129-181 all-time record at Morgan State. Beasley recorded his first career victory in the 10th