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GAME 20: COPPIN STATE EAGLES  (5-15, 3-4 MEAC)
Monday, February 1, 2016 • 7:30 p.m. • Hill Field House • Baltimore, Md.
Live Video Stream: Go to www.morganstatebears.com
Radio: WEAA, 88.9 FM
Series Record: Coppin State leads the series 56-27
Head Coaches: MSU - Todd Bozeman (154-155, 10th yr) • CSU– Michael Grant (13-38, 2nd yr)
Website: MSU - www.morganstatebears.com; www.coppinstatesports.com
 
BEARS SET TO HOST CROSS-TOWN RIVAL COPPIN STATE ON MONDAY
The Morgan State Bears will host cross-town rival Coppin State (5-15, 3-4 MEAC) on Monday, Feb. 1. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at Hill Field House and will be broadcast by WEAA, 88.9 FM. Coppin State will enter the contest attempting to bounce back from an 83-81 overtime home loss against Maryland Eastern Shore, while the Bears will look to build upon its impressive 83-63 win Saturday against Howard.
 
PREVIEWING THE COPPIN STATE
• Coppin State returned a pair of starters from its 2014-15 squad that went 8-23, went 6-10 in MEAC play and finished in 9^th place.
• Michael Grant (Malone) is in his 2^nd season at the helm for Coppin State. Grant was named Coppin State's sixth head men's basketball coach since 1964 on May 7, 2014. Prior to CSU, Grant had head coaching stints at Stillman College, Southern University (La.) and at Central State University.
• The Eagles were picked 11th in the 2015-16 MEAC Preseason Poll.
• Coppin State juniors Christian Kessee (6-2, 180) and Terry Harris, Jr. (6-8, 205) are currently averaging double-figures to lead a very balanced Eagle attack. Kessee is averaging 12.7 points per game, while Harris is scoring 12.4 points and leads the team in rebounds with 7.0 boards per game. CSU also has four other players averaging just over 9 points per game. 
• CSU is shooting 37 percent from the floor as a team and has connected on 139-of-440 (.316) 3-pointers.
• Coppin State fell to Maryland Eastern Shore 83-81 in overtime on Saturday in PEC Arena in Baltimore. Christian Kessee led the Eagles with 20 points on a career best six made 3-point field goals on seven attempts. Terry Harris Jr., recorded his sixth double-double of the season by finishing with 14 points and 14 rebounds.
 
THE SERIES
• MSU will square off against Coppin State for the 84th meeting in history between the two schools.
• Coppin State swept the series last season by posting an 80-67 win at home (Feb. 2, 2015), and an 88-77 win Hill Field House on March 5, 2015.
• The last matchup in Hill Field House on March 5, 2015. Coppin State Eagles had the last laugh before a sold out crowd at Hill Field House in their 88-77 win over the Bears on Senior Day. Morgan State was led by Andrew Hampton with 18 points and kept the Bears in the game early with four three-pointers. Five Eagles scored in double figures in the game led by Sterling Smith with 21 points
• MSU's last win against Coppin State was on March 14, 2014 when first team All-MEAC selection Justin Black poured in a game-high 30 points and Ian Chiles was a presence on defense and offense to lead Morgan State to a 79-64 win over the Eagles in the semifinal round of the MEAC Tournament at the Norfolk Scope.

NEXT UP
The Bears will head south to face the Savannah State State Tigers on Saturday, February 6, followed by a trip to Orangeburg to take on South Carolina State on Monday, Feb. 8.
 
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 74-34 (.685) overall home record at Hill Field House.

BLOSSOM CLOSING IN ON 1,000
Morgan State senior forward Cedric Blossom is steadily approaching a career milestone. He's currently less than 150 points (110 to be exact) away from scoring 1,000 career points. Blossom enters Monday's contest with 890 career points.

STARTING LINEUPS
Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman has been mixing his lineups up during the early going of the season. The Bears have had a total of nine different starting lineups through the first 19 games. 

BLOSSOM LEADING
Senior Cedric Blossom has scored double figures in 10 of the 12 games he's played this season and is currently the Bears' leading scorer by averaging 14.4 ppg.The starting forward is shooting 48 percent from the field, has converted 45-of-69 (.652) free throws and is averaging 6.6 rebounds per game. He enters Monday night's contest after leading the Bears with 19 points (6-10 FG) with five rebounds in 36 minutes vs. Howard. He scored a season-high 25-point performance against Manhattan in which he shot 7-for-13 from the field, 79 percent (11-14 FT) from the stripe and had seven boards. The Preseason All-MEAC Second Team selection is averaging 15.0 thru the last three games for the Bears. 

THE CARR IMPACT
The Bears frontcourt got an infusion of talent in the frontcourt with the addition of Phillip Carr. The 6-foot-8 forward Williston State transfer Phillip Carr is not only a force on the glass, but he's also bloomed into a scoring threat for the Bears. Carr is averaging 10.5 points and 7.1 rebounds (No. 4 in MEAC) in 19 starts. 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 eight or more rebounds in eight games so far this season.  Carr scored a season-high 20 points (6-17 FG) with five boards against CSUN (Jan. 2), and vs. Howard he posted 14 points with six boards and four blocks in 33 minutes. 

HORNE INSERTED AS STARTER
Junior guard Andre Horne may remain in the Bears' starting rotation with games like the one he posted on Saturday. Horne made his first start since the Nov. 28 game at High Point, while former starting guard Martez Cameron was moved to a reserve role during the Bears blowout victory over Howard. Horne played an active game for the Bears, finishing with 18 points (9-12 FT), four rebounds, four assists and a pair of steals in 29 minutes of action. In the 14 games he's played, Horne is averaging 13.6 ppg as a starter in seven games, while averaging 4.7 ppg off the bench. 

EXTRA FRAMES
The Bears are 0-1 this season when playing in overtime. With the 83-80 loss to Hampton on Jan. 6, the Bears have lost its last two overtime contests, however they've won three of its last four matchups. Morgan State's last overtime victory was a 74-67 win against Marist on Nov. 25, 2013.

LARGEST MARGIN IN WIN
Morgan State posted an 83-63 victory over Howard (Jan. 30) for its largest margin of victory this season. Prior to the win against Howard, the Bears' previous largest margin of victories had been by five (5) points. On Nov. 21, 2015 the Bears posted their first win of the season with a 59-54 win at Campbell University, and on Jan. 9, 2016 they recorded a 63-58 victory against Delaware State. 

ON DECK
MSU visits Savannah State on Feb. 6 for the first of four straight road games … The road swing will conclude with an ESPNU matchup against the Hampton Pirates at the HU Convocation Center on Monday, Feb. 15 … MSU returns home when they host North Carolina A&T on Monday, Feb. 22.