Game 11
Opponent: at Michigan Wolverines (7-3, 0-0 BIG Ten)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 15, 2018
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. | Crisler Center
Tip-Off: 11 a.m.
Series Record: First Meeting
TV: BTN Plus
Live Video: btn2go.com
Live Audio: mgoblue.com
Live Stats: mgoblue.com
 
Gameday | MSU Notes | Michigan Notes
 
ANN ARBOR, Mich. (Dec. 15, 2018)-Fresh off a season-long 13-day layoff, the Morgan State women's basketball team returns to the hardwood for two non-conference road contests. The Lady Bears first visit Michigan (12/15) for an 11 a.m. tipoff at the Crisler Center. MSU will conclude its road swing at West Virginia (12/18) against the Mountaineers at 7 p.m. at the WVU Coliseum.
 
Saturday's contest will be the Lady Bears' second this season against a member of the Big Ten Conference. Last month Morgan State faced seventh-ranked Maryland in the Puerto Rico Clasico and trailed the Terps by only three points after the first quarter and was down six points (28-22) at the intermission.
 
For senior Kayla Horn, this weekend's trip to Michigan will serve as homecoming for the Romulus, Mich. native. The 5-foot-7 guard has played in all ten games thus far, making nine starts. She is currently averaging 4.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest. Her 19 assists rank second on the team, while her 15 steals are third.
 
"I was really surprised," said Horn recalling back to when she first saw the schedule and noticed the trip to Ann Arbor to face Michigan. "Coach Davis mentioned it last year…would you like to play at home one of these years? And I said yeah that would be great. Once I saw it, it kind of gave me excitement because I am eight hours away and I'm able to go back and play in front of my parents. My parents have never seen me play college basketball before. They always came to a majority of my high school games, but they've never seen a college game. So it's like an urge of excitement."
 
"It means a lot to me because of the fact that I don't really get to see my parents," added Horn about being at home. "It means a lot to the fact that they [MSU coaching staff] acknowledged asking me about it and they were actually able to pull through with it. But it means a lot to me that I am actually back at home. I can see my parents and a couple of my other family members that haven't seen me play."
 
During her youth, Horn didn't have a favorite Michigan school or any other school for that matter. In fact, during Horn's high school days it was a certain player playing in a different State that got her looking forward to college.   
   
"I was never the type of kid that had a favorite school in mind. Don't get me wrong, my grand daddy lives in Ann Arbor and he wanted me to just go there [Michigan] and I was like I don't want to go to Michigan because it's too close to home. I have too many friends out here that I know and I would easily get distracted. But growing up just watching college basketball during high school, I always looked up to Skylar Diggins who went to Notre Dame. It gave me the excitement of I want to go there. I want to be like her. It gave me the urge of looking forward to college, but I never had a favorite school."
 
Despite growing up just 30 minutes away from Ann Arbor and the Michigan campus, Horn has never been to a Michigan game. Her first Michigan basketball experience will now come with her playing against the host Wolverines.
 
"I have not been to a Michigan game at all. I've been to Oakland University, Eastern Michigan, Western Michigan and Michigan State, but I've never been to a Michigan game. I know! That's crazy," said Horn with a laugh.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (1-9) is in the midst of an eight-game losing skid, following a 59-50 road loss at Florida International (12/2). Adre'onia Coleman led the Lady Bears with 11 points and added four assists and three steals, both game highs. Jihaya Chavis finished with 10 points and a team-high six rebounds, while Naomi Bolasingh finished with nine points, had two steals and a block. Coleman leads the Lady Bears in scoring with 14.9 points and rebounding (7.2) per game. Ashia McCalla is averaging 8.2 points, while Bolasingh is adding 8.1 points.
 
A LOOK AT MICHIGAN: Michigan is in the midst of a two-game winning streak, following an 85-59 win at Oakland (12/9). Nicole Munger scored a game-high 21 points. Naz Hillmon came off the bench to score 16 points and grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Hailey Brown finished with 12 points. The Wolverines have been paced by Thome, who is averaging 13 points per game. Munger and Hillmon are also averaging double figures in scoring for Michigan. Munger has knocked down a team-leading 29 three-pointers, while Hillmon averages a team-best 6.5 rebounds.
 
SERIES NOTES: This will be the first meeting.
 
MSU VS. THE BIG TEN: Morgan State enters its contest at Michigan a combined 0-9 all-time against the Big Ten Conference. Here's how the Lady Bears have done against members of the BIG: Iowa (0-1), Maryland (0-4), Northwestern (0-1), Penn State (0-2) and Rutgers (0-1). MSU has never faced Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio State, Purdue or Wisconsin.
 
NEXT UP: After its contest against West Virginia (12/18), Morgan State will head home for its final two contests to close out 2018. The Lady Bears will first host local foe, UMBC (12/20) at 5:30 pm, before taking on UMass Lowell (12/29) at 2 pm. Both games will be played at Hill Field House.
 
HOMECOMING FOR HORN: Saturday's game against Michigan will mark a homecoming of sorts for senior guard Kayla Horn. A native of nearby Romulus, Mich., Horn, who never attended a Michigan basketball game while growing up, will now play against the hometown Wolverines in front of family and friends. Saturday's game is extra special for Horn, as it will be the first collegiate game her parents will get to see her play.
 
13-DAY LAYOFF: The Lady Bears will end a season-long 13-day layoff when they take the floor against the University of Michigan on Saturday. It will be Morgan State's first game since playing at Florida International on Dec. 2. The layoff was so that Morgan State could focus on final exams.
 
GRAHAM RETURNS TO MORGANTOWN: Morgan State assistant coach Donchez Graham will make his second consecutive return to WVU Coliseum when the Lady Bears take on West Virginia (12/18). Graham served as an assistant coach on the Mountaineers' staff during the 2009-10 season. WVU would finish the season with a 29-6 record, including a berth in the Big East Conference Championship game and a second round appearance in the NCAA Tournament. At the time it was the winningest season in school history.
 
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 369-288, 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.
 
REMATCH: Five of the Lady Bears' non-conference opponents (Lincoln-Pa., Central Connecticut, Florida International, West Virginia, UMass Lowell) will be rematches from the 2017-18 campaign. Morgan State went 4-1 a year ago against those opponents with its lone loss coming at then 10th-ranked West Virginia. Morgan State is currently 0-3 this season in those rematch games.
 
SOMEONE NEW: Morgan State will square off this season against two first-time opponents in Western Kentucky (11/28) and Michigan (12/15). Both contests will be on the road.
 
WELCOME BACK: Local foe UMBC returns on the 2018-19 schedule after a year hiatus. Morgan State and the Retrievers will meet on Dec. 20 at Hill Field House. The two programs last met on Dec. 7, 2016 at UMBC with the Lady Bears winning, 69-61.
 
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.