Game Dates: Monday, February 16, 2015
Opponent: Hampton Pirates (10-14, 6-5 MEAC)
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Game Time: 9:05 p.m.
Television:  ESPNU - Dr. Jerry Punch (Play by Play), Stan Lewter (Color Analyst)
Record:  MSU 7-18 (5-6 MEAC)
Head Coach: Todd Bozeman (150-134 - 9th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com/www.hamptonpirates.com
 
MSU Notes | Hampton Notes | Watch Live |  Live Stats  |  Live Audio  |  Twitter Updates 
 
BALTIMORE, Md. – The Morgan State men's basketball team (7-18, 5-6) will try to win its fourth straight game on Monday when it hosts Hampton (10-14, 6-5), a team the Bears lost to on December 8 at HU Convocation Center. The game marks the finale of a 4-game home stretch for the Bears. Tip-off is set for 9:05 p.m. at Hill Field House. MSU enters the contest coming off a 73-70 win against Norfolk State. The Pirates will enter the ballgame fresh off a 6-game layoff and riding back to back wins. Monday night's game will be televised live on ESPNU and available on the WatchESPN App.
 
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
Feb. 14, 2015 -- Andrew Hampton hit five 3-pointers and scored 17 points -- both career highs -- and Cliff Cornish hit two free throws and blocked a shot in the final seconds to help Morgan State upset Norfolk State 73-70. Hampton, a sophomore walk-on, had played just 28 minutes and scored nine points all season before hitting 6 of 7 field goals, including 5 of 6 from 3-point range. Cedric Blossom scored 19 and Emmanuel Matey had seven points and eight assists.

SCOUTING THE PIRATES
• The Pirates welcomed back 11 letterwinners and four starters, from a squad that posted a 18-13 overall record, and finished 2nd place with an 13-3 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.
• Edward Joyner Jr. (Johnson C. Smith '95) enters his sixth season as the Pirates head men's basketball coach. He currently holds a 92-92 record as a head coach.
• Dwight Chievous leads the Pirates by averaging 12.8 ppg and a team-best 7.3 rpg. Quinton Chievous (10.8)and Reginald Johnson (10.7) are also averaging double-digits for the Pirates. Deron Powers leads the Pirates in assists by averaging 3.7 dishes per contest.

FOR THE RECORD
MSU will square off against Hampton for the 39th meeting in history between the two schools.
• The Pirates lead the series 24-14.
• Deron Powers had 17 points, Quinton Chievous scored 13 and Hampton held on to beat Morgan State 62-58 on Dec. 8, 2014.
• The last win against the Pirates was on Feb. 4, 2014 when the Bears held on for a 94-92 double-overtime win in an ESPNU nationally televised game at Hill Field House.

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.
 
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 71-28 (.717) overall home record at Hill Field House. The Bears are 5-3 at home so far this season.

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 captured its first road win of the season with a 73-69 win at Delaware State (Jan. 10), MSU is 1-13 on the road.
 
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 11 times this season.
• He has scored 10+ points in 21 games.
• He matched a career-high with 26 points vs. Savannah State marked the seventh time he has recorded 20 or more points.
• He's currently the Bears leading scorer averaging 14.8 ppg and second leading rebounder with 6.8 rpg.

ONE-TWO PUNCH
Either senior Blake Bozeman or junior Cedric Blossom has been Morgan State's top scorer in 20 of 25 games this season, combining for 25+ points in 15 games, 30+ points eight times, and one 40-point performance. Both have finished in double figures 41 times while combining for 10 of the team's 10 20-point games. Blossom has reached the 20-point plateau in six games, while Bozeman has four games with 20 or more.

D-UP
Morgan State has held five of its last six opponents to less than 65 points. In Saturday's win against Norfolk State, they limited the Spartans to just 36 percent  shooting from the field and 4 of 19 from 3-point territory. Below is a look at Morgan State's improvement on defense the last five games
 
Category                   Last 5 MEAC Games       First 5 MEAC Games
Points Per Game     62.8                                     71.8      
FG Pct.                       102-243 (41.9%)              127-270 (47.0%)
3PT FG Pct.               17-76 (22.3%)                   27-68 (30.7%)

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.