Game 9
Opponent: at Western Kentucky Lady Toppers (2-6, 0-0 C-USA)
Date: Wednesday, Nov. 28, 2018
Site: Bowling Green, KY | E.A. Diddle Arena
Tip-Off: 6 p.m. CT
Series Record: First Meeting
Live Video: C-USA TV
Live Audio: C-USA TV
Live Stats: wkusports.com
 
Gameday | MSU Notes | WKU Notes
 
BOWLING GREEN, KY (Nov. 27, 2018)-Morgan State returns to the road, as they visit the Lady Toppers of Western Kentucky for a non-conference game on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. CT in Bowling Green, KY. This will be the first meeting between the two teams.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (1-7) is in the midst of a six-game losing skid, following a loss at home to Central Connecticut, 60-36 on Monday. Adre'onia Coleman scored a game-high 14 points and Ashia McCalla came off the bench to add 13 in the loss. Coleman is averaging 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game to lead the Lady Bears. McCalla is contributing 8.3 points.
 
A LOOK AT WESTERN KENTUCKY: The Lady Toppers (2-6) are coming off a 1-2 mark during the Thanksgiving break in Vancouver, Canada, where they placed sixth in the Vancouver Showcase. WKU dropped its finale to Gonzaga (11/24), 76-55. Gee Givens and Raneem Elgedawy each scored a game-high 13 points, while Elgedawy grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Givens had a game-high five steals for the Lady Toppers in the loss. Givens has paced WKU with 19 points per game and has a team-leading 26 steals. She has knocked down 24 three-pointers and is shooting .444 percent from beyond the arc. Alexis Brewer has connected on 15 treys and is shooting .405 percent. Elgedawy is scoring 15.9 points and is pulling down a team-high 7.1 rebounds per outing.
 
SERIES NOTES: This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
 
MSU VS. CONFERENCE USA: Morgan State is 1-5 all-time against members of Conference USA. Here's how Morgan State has done against C-USA: Florida International (1-1), Louisiana Tech (0-1), Marshall (0-3). The Lady Bears have never faced: Alabama-Birmingham, Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, Middle Tennessee, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice, Southern Mississippi, UTEP, UTSA, Western Kentucky.
 
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears will conclude their brief two-game swing against Conference USA opponents, when they head to the Sunshine State to battle Florida International in a non-conference game on Sunday, Dec. 2. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. at Ocean Bank Convocation Center in Miami, Fla.
 
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 369-286, 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 six newcomers (three transfers and three freshmen) to the 2018-19 team. Those additions are junior transfers: Dawn Gipson, Dezyree Morales and Sydney Searcy; along with freshmen: Ashia McCalla, Elizabeth Sherrill and Amoura Whitney.
 
SAYING GOODBYE: Morgan State will say goodbye to three seniors at the conclusion of the season. Two-year members Naomi Bolasingh, Adre'onia Coleman and Kayla Horn, who all transferred to Morgan State as juniors, will be honored on Senior Night when they play their final home game at Hill Field House on March 7, 2019 against crosstown rival Coppin State at 5:30 p.m.
 
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.