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BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 19, 2018)-Morgan State, winners of two straight and four of its last five games, returns home to host Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) leader Bethune-Cookman on Monday, Feb. 19 at Hill Field House. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. The Lady Wildcats, who were ranked 25th in the recent Mid-Major poll, enters the contest with a 20-4 overall record and are unbeaten in MEAC play at 12-0. Fans can follow the action through live video and live stats at www.morganstatebears.com.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (14-11, 7-5 MEAC) is fresh off a successful two-game road trip, where it defeated Savannah State, 70-41 on Feb. 10 and Florida A&M by a score of 59-44 on Feb. 12. Jihayah Chavis scored a game-high and career-tying 15 pints on 7-of-10 shooting and recorded a game-high four steals, while Braennan Farrar also added a game-high 15 points. Lexus Spears recorded her second double-double of the season, finishing with a game-high 12 rebounds to go with 12 points. Morgan State has been led by Spears, who is averaging a team-best 13.6 points and a team-leading 7.2 rebounds per game. Farrar is adding 12.1 points, while Tykyrah Williams is recording 10.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Adre'onia Coleman is adding 6.5 rebounds and 9.6 points per outing.
 
CAT TAILS: Bethune-Cookman (20-4, 12-0 MEAC) enters the contest riding a 12-game winning streak, following its 75-63 victory over Coppin State on Saturday, thus spoiling the Eagles' homecoming festivities. The Lady Wildcats are also ranked No. 25 in the recent CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major poll. Angel Golden scored a team-high 27 points for B-CU, while Brianna Battle came off the bench to score 13. Ashanti Hunt recorded a double-double with 10 points and 12 rebounds and tallied four blocked shots and Chasimmie Brown also added 10 points. B-CU has been paced this season by Golden, who is averaging 15.9 points per game. Brown, is scoring 10.6 points per game and is also second in rebounding at 7.0 per game. Hunt leads the Lady Wildcats in rebounding with 7.6 boards per contest, while recording a team-best 95 assists and 41 steals, also a team-high.
 
MSU VS. BETHUNE-COOKMAN SERIES NOTES: Bethune-Cookman was won four straight over Morgan State and leads the all-time series, 29-27. Last season the Lady Wildcats escaped with a 50-48 victory in a game played at Daytona State College (1/7/17).
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will take to the road next when it travels to Hampton, Va. to take on defending MEAC Tournament champion, Hampton on Saturday, Feb. 24. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. at the HU Convocation Center.
 
NOT UP IN HERE: The Lady Bears, who have been excellent at home this season, fell to 9-2, following their 68-61 loss to Howard (2/5). The Lady Bears had won their first eight home contests this year and was riding a nine-game home winning streak dating back to last season, before falling to Delaware State, 64-52 on Jan. 22.

SPEARS RECORDS SECOND DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Lexus Spears picked up her second double-double of the season, when she finished with a game-high 12 rebounds and added 12 points in the win at Florida A&M (2/12). Spear's first double-double of the season came in a home game against Mount St. Mary's (11/26/17) where she scored a game-high 22 points and grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds.
 
ROAD WOES: The Lady Bears picked up their fifth road win this season, following a 59-44 victory at Florida A&M on Feb. 12. Morgan improved to a combined 5-9 (including loss to Iowa at neutral site) away from Hill Field House, while earning its third consecutive road victory.
 
SPEARS JOINS 500 REBOUND CLUB: Senior forward Lexus Spears pulled down six rebounds against South Carolina State (1/29), giving her 501 career rebounds at Morgan State to become the 13th Lady Bear to grab 500 rebounds. Spears, who played in just three games last season due to an injury, has pulled down a team-leading 173 rebounds this season for an average of 7.0 rebounds per game. She grabbed a game-high 12 boards at Florida A&M (2/12) and now has 532 career rebounds.
 
HOLD UM UNDER 60 POINTS: Morgan State improved to 12-1 this season when holding its opponents under 60 points, following a 59-44 victory at Florida A&M (2/12). 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 12 victories, three times (Lincoln-Pa., Central Connecticut, Savannah State) the Lady Bears surrendered an opponent low 41 points.
 
FARRAR ON THE RISE: Braennan "BeBe" Farrar continues to make her move up several of Morgan State's statistical charts. Farrar currently ranks third all-time at Morgan State in assists with 339 and now needs two more assists to move into second. The St. Louis, Mo. native sits in fourth-place all-time in steals at Morgan State with 260. Farrar also ranks fourth in scoring with 1,512 points.
 
WILLIAMS CLOSING IN ON 1,000 PTS/500 REBS CLUB: Senior Tykyrah Williams is on the verge of becoming the seventh Lady Bear player to join the 1,000 points and 500 rebounds club at Morgan State. Williams currently has scored 984 points and has grabbed 548 rebounds during her career. Williams became the 12th player to record 500 rebounds at Morgan State when she pulled down seven boards at N.C. A&T (1/13) to give her 501 for her career.
 
SEE YOU MONDAY AT THE HOUSE: Due to this year's unusual MEAC scheduling, the Lady Bears' final six MEAC games at Hill Field House will all be played on Monday evenings only. Morgan State's victory over Florida A&M (1/6) was the final Saturday home contest of the season.
 
SECOND HALF MEAC STRETCH: Morgan State began the second half of the MEAC slate on the road at Norfolk State (2/3) and picked up a 55-53 victory. The Lady Bears concluded the first half of the league schedule with a 4-4 mark. Last season the Lady Bears, who went 7-9 in MEAC play, put together a 7-1 second half run, including a season-long five-game winning streak, after dropping their first eight conference games during the 2016-17 campaign. The Lady Bears are currently 3-1 with four games left.
  
A NEW SEASON: What a difference a year makes. Last season the Lady Bears finished the 2016-17 campaign with a 9-21 mark. This year, Morgan State head coach Ed Davis Jr. has guided the Lady Bears to 14 wins through their first 25 games. A year ago the Lady Bears didn't record their ninth and final win until the 29th game of the season, a 66-62 road victory at Maryland Eastern Shore on March 2, 2017.
 
MORGAN AND COPPIN IN HOME FINALE: The Lady Bears and crosstown rival Coppin State will meet in the home finale for organ State on Monday, Feb. 26. Tip-off will be at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House. The contest will also mark 'Senior Day' for Tykyrah Williams, Tayler Miller, Braennan Farrar, Janessa Fauntroy and Lexus Spears, who will wear the 'Orange and Blue' for the final time at Hill Field House.
 
2018 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2018 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 5-10 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. Ticket books can be purchased at all 13 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.