Morgan State Notes | Georgia Notes | Maryland Notes

Game 6
Opponent: No. 24 Georgia "Lady Bulldogs" (2-2, 0-0 SEC)
Date: Thursday, Nov. 22, 2018
Site: Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Ruben Zayas Montanez
Tip-off: 12 p.m. ET
Series Record: Georgia leads, 1-0.
Live Video: Flowhoops.com
Audio: Georgiadogs.com
Gameday: here
 
Game 7
Opponent: No. 7/10 Maryland "Terrapins" (4-0, 0-0 Big Ten)
Date: Friday, Nov. 23, 2018
Site: Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico | Coliseo Ruben Zayas Montanez
Tip-off: 12 p.m. ET
Series Record: Maryland leads, 3-0.
Live Video: Flowhoops.com
Audio: N/A
Gameday: here
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Nov. 22, 2018)-The Morgan State Lady Bears will spend the Thanksgiving weekend in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, as they compete in the Puerto Rico Clasico. Morgan State will take on 24th-ranked Georgia on Thursday, Nov. 22, before squaring off against in-state foe, seventh-ranked Maryland on Friday. Both games will tip-off at 12 p.m. ET. This will be the third straight year that Morgan State has participated in the event. Last year's tournament was moved to Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. due to the damage of Hurricane Maria.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (1-4) enters the contest coming off a 67-57 loss to Niagara (11/17) in a consolation game in the Preseason WNIT. Adre'onia Coleman scored a team-high 20 points and pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, while Ashia McCalla added 13 points. It was the third double-double this season for Coleman.
 
A LOOK AT GEORGIA: The 24th ranked Lady Bulldogs (2-2) have lost two straight and dropped 11 spots from No. 13 in the USA Today Coaches Poll, following a 63-53 loss at Georgia Tech (11/18). Taja Cole and Gabby Connally each scored 10 points in the loss, while Caliya Robinson pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds. Jenna Staiti had a game-high six blocked shots. It was just the sixth loss to Georgia Tech in the series' 41 meetings.
 
SERIES NOTES: This will be the second meeting between the two programs. Georgia won the first meeting, 68-36 in Athens, Ga. in the season opener (11/14).
 
A LOOK AT MARYLAND: The Terps are off to a 4-0 start and rank No. 7 in the AP Poll and No. 10 in the USA Today Coaches Poll. Maryland is coming off an 85-61 win at #10/11 South Carolina (11/18). The Terps had six players score in double figures, including all five starters with two players recording double-doubles. Blair Watson led the way with a game-high 20 points, while Stephanie Jones added 18. Kaila Charles scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, and Shakira Austin came off the bench to score 10 points and pulled down a game-high 16 boards.
 
SERIES NOTES: The Terrapins lead the all-time series, 3-0. The two programs last met during the 2001-02 season, which the Terps won, 79-42.
 
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears will return home to Hill Field House to host Central Connecticut on Monday, Nov. 26 at 5:30 p.m.
 
COLEMAN NAMED MEAC PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior captain Adre'onia Coleman was named Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Player of the Week (11/20) after averaging a double-double and shot 60 percent from the floor last week in two consolation round contests in the Preseason WNIT. Coleman scored a season-high 21 points on 10-for-15 shooting, including 1-for-1 from three-point range, while adding 10 rebounds, two steals and a block at Stephen F. Austin (11/16). Coleman then scored 20 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds and had two steals against Niagara (11/17).
 
MAKE IT A DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Adre'onia Coleman has recorded three double-doubles in the five games played this season. Last week the 5-foot-10 forward notched back-to-back double-doubles in two consolation games during the Preseason WNIT. Coleman first scored season-high 21 points and had 10 rebounds at Stephen F. Austin (11/16), then added 20 points and a season-high 12 rebounds against Niagara (11/17).
 
I'M COMING HOME: Morgan State's Preseason WNIT opener at Hartford (11/9), was also a homecoming for Morgan State junior transfer Dezyree Morales. The West Hartford native, is a 2016 graduate of Conard High School, where she played basketball. Morales earned all-conference and all-academic honors during her senior season, before moving on to Colby Community College in Colby, Kansas.
 
DAVIS CLOSING IN ON 370 VICTORIES: Morgan State head coach Ed Davis Jr. is one win away from picking up career coaching victory 370. Davis, who enters his seventh season with the Lady Bears and third as head coach, has an overall record of 369-283, following a 60-43 win over Washington Adventist (11/7). He has guided his teams to a total of four NCAA Tournament appearances, while at Bowie State (3) and Delaware State (1) and two Division II Sweet 16 appearances.
 
BOLASINGH SCORES 14 IN RETURN: Senior Naomi Bolasingh made her long awaited return back on the court for the Lady Bears and scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed six rebounds in the season opener against Lincoln-Pa. (11/6). It was her first game back with the Lady Bears, since missing the final eight contests of the 2017-18 season due to an injury.
 
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears are 11-31 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following this year's 51-46 home loss to Lincoln-Pa. (11/6). It was the fifth season opening loss for the Lady Bears in six years. Morgan State at one point had lost 23 straight season openers, prior to winning three straight from 2006-08.
 
MORGAN PICKED SIXTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish sixth 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 eighth, and went 16-15 overall and finished 8-8 in the MEAC to finish sixth. Morgan State produced its first winning season since 2010-11 (17-15) and recorded its first MEAC Tournament victory in two years with its 58-51 first round win over Coppin State.
  
LADY BEARS TO COMPETE IN PRESEASON WNIT: For the first time in program history the Morgan State Lady Bears will compete in the 2018 Preseason Women's National Invitational Tournament (WNIT). The Lady Bears will begin the 25th edition of the Preseason WNIT on the road, when they travel to Hartford, Conn. to take on the Hartford Hawks in first round action on Friday, Nov. 9. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. Morgan State is the only Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in this year's field. In 2011, Morgan State made history when it advanced to the WNIT Postseason Tournament, where it faced host Virginia in the first round. It was the program's first and till this day, only Division I postseason appearance in school history.
 
HOLD UM UNDER 60 POINTS: Morgan State finished the 2017-18 season with a 14-1 record when it held its opponents under 60 points. During the Lady Bears' season-long four-game winning streak (Dec. 28-Jan. 8), Morgan State held three of those opponents to under 60 points. Of those 14 victories, three times (Lincoln-Pa., Central Connecticut, Savannah State) the Lady Bears surrendered an opponent low 41 points.
 
LOCK DOWN DEFENSE: The Morgan State defense is picking up where it left off last year. In the opener, the Lady Bears held Lincoln-Pa. to just two points in the third quarter on 1-of-18 shooting in that quarter. Three times last season Morgan State held an opponent to just three points in a quarter. Each time, the Lady Bears held the opponent to one field goal and a free throw in the quarter. In the opener
            -at Savannah State (2/10), 4th quarter
            -at Florida A&M (2/12), 3rd quarter
            -vs. Coppin State (2/26), 3rd quarter 
 
LADY BEARS SCORE SCHOOL RECORD 123 POINTS: Last season the Lady Bears set a new school record for points in a game when they scored 123 points in their 123-53 victory in the home opener over Cheyney (11/13/17). The previous mark was 115 points against the University of Baltimore (1/17/83). The 70-point victory is the second largest margin of victory in school history behind an 82-point (102-20) victory over Coppin State (2/13/77).
 
DAVIS A THREE-TIME HALL OF FAMER: Morgan State head coach Ed Davis Jr. was inducted into his third Hall of Fame in September 2017, when his 2006-07 Delaware State women's basketball team was inducted for capturing the 2007 MEAC title. Davis was also inducted into the Bowie State University Hall of Fame in 2014 as a coach, where he guided the Lady Bulldogs to three CIAA titles and a pair of Division II "Sweet 16" appearances and in 2008 he was inducted into the West Virginia State University Hall of Fame as a basketball player.
 
WELCOME TO THE CAVE: Morgan State will welcome the addition of seven newcomers (four transfers and three freshmen) to the 2018-19 team. Those additions are junior transfers: Dawn Gipson, Dezyree Morales, Dallas Petties and Sydney Searcy; along with freshmen: Ashia McCalla, Elizabeth Sherrill and Amoura Whitney.
 
2019 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2019 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. Ticket books can be purchased at all 12 MEAC university ticket offices, the Norfolk Scope Arena, Ticketmaster outlets, the MEAC Administrative Office and online at Ticketmaster.com. Tickets are also available by calling the MEAC at 757-951-2055 or Ticketmaster at (800)-745-3000. The annual MEAC Basketball Tournament moved to Norfolk in 2013 after spending the previous four years in Winston-Salem, N.C. from 2009 through 2012.