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BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 22, 2018)-Morgan State will travel to the Virginia Tidewater area this weekend to take on the Hampton Lady Pirates on Saturday, Feb. 24 at 4 p.m. at the HU Convocation Center. It will be the last Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season meeting between the two programs, as Hampton has announced that it will leave the MEAC and join the Big South Conference for the 2018-19 athletic season.

BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (14-12, 7-6 MEAC) had its two-game winning streak snapped, following a 64-57 overtime loss to Bethune-Cookman on Monday. Tykyrah Williams scored a team-high 17 points, giving her exactly 1,001 career points. Lexus Spears picked up her second consecutive double-double and third of the season, finishing with 16 rebounds and 15 points. The Lady Bears held a 54-48 lead and were 1:41 away from handing the Lady Wildcats their first MEAC loss of the season. Unfortunately, B-CU would even the score at 54 all and force an extra period. Morgan State had been led by Spears, who is averaging 13.6 points and 7.5 rebounds, both team highs. Farrar is averaging 11.9 points and leads the team in assists (84) and steals (59). Williams is contributing 10.8 points and 6.0 boards, while Adre'onia Coleman is adding 9.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. The Lady Bears are averaging 61.8 points and surrendering 61.0 points per contest.

PIRATES LOG: Hampton (14-13, 10-4 MEAC) defeated Savannah State, 88-41 in its last game on Monday. Four Lady Pirate starters scored in double figures. K'lynn Willis led Hampton with a game-high 18 points, while Jephany Brown and Monnazjea Finney-Smith had 17 points each. Brown also added seven rebounds and had four blocked shots. Ashley Bates finished with 11 points and seven rebounds for the Lady Pirates, who are riding a three-game winning streak. Finney-Smith leads Hampton with 12.3 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. Brown is scoring 11.1 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Willis is adding 9.5 points and leads the team with 75 steals. Allina Starr has 110 assists on the season to go with 9.4 points and 5.3 rebounds.

MSU VS. HIU SERIES NOTES: Hampton leads the all-time series, 30-11. The Lady Pirates have won 13 straight over Morgan State, including a 71-58 victory last season in Baltimore (2/25/17). The Lady Bears' last win over Hampton came on Feb. 23, 2009, a 90-87 overtime victory at Hampton. Morgan State's last win at home over Hampton was a 73-54 victory on Feb. 25, 2008 at Hill Field House.

NEXT UP: Morgan State will return home for the final time this season when it plays host to crosstown rival Coppin State on Monday, Feb. 26. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House. The game will also mark 'Senior Night' for five Lady Bears players. Braennan Farrar, Janessa Fauntroy, Tayler Miller, Tykyrah Williams and Lexus Spears will all play in their final home game at Hill Field House.

GOOD RIDDANCE: Saturday's contest will mark the final MEAC regular season meeting between Morgan State and Hampton. On Nov. 16, 2017 Hampton University, which joined the MEAC in 1995, announced that it will leave the conference and join the Big South Conference for the 2018-19 athletic season.

NOT UP IN HERE: The Lady Bears, who have been excellent at home this season, fell to 9-3, following their 64-67 overtime loss to Bethune-Cooman (2/19). The Lady Bears who started out 8-0 at home this season, however, have now lost three of its last four home contests. Morgan State was riding a nine-game home winning streak dating back to last season, before falling to Delaware State, 64-52 on Jan. 22, 2018 for its first home loss.

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.

WILLIAMS JOINS 1,000 PTS/500 REBS CLUB: Tykyrah Williams on Monday, Feb. 19 became the seventh Lady Bear player to join the 1,000 points and 500 rebounds club at Morgan State. Williams scored her 1,001st point at home against Bethune-Cookman and grabbed five rebounds, giving her 553 rebounds for 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. 

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.

FARRAR ON THE RISE: Braennan "BeBe" Farrar continues to make her move up several of Morgan State's statistical charts. Farrar on Monday, Feb. 19 recorded three assists against Bethune-Cookman to move into second-place all-time at Morgan State in assists with 342. The St. Louis, Mo. native currently sits in fourth-place all-time in steals at Morgan State with 261 and also ranks fourth in scoring with 1,519 points.  

SPEARS RECORDS THIRD DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Lexus Spears picked up her second consecutive double-double and third of the season, when she finished with 16 rebounds and 15 points against Bethune-Cookman (2/19). The game before that, Spears scored 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.

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.

MORGAN AND COPPIN IN HOME FINALE: The Lady Bears and crosstown rival Coppin State will meet in the home finale for Morgan 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.