Game 25
Opponent: Norfolk State (16-11, 11-1 MEAC)
Date: Saturday, February 23, 2019
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md. 
Game Time: 4 p.m. 
Series Record: NSU leads 34-17
Live Stats: here | Watch: here
Radio: WEAA, 88.9 FM
Coaches: MSU -Todd Bozeman (155-213, 13th yr) • NSU - Robert Jones (103-93, 6th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.nsuspartans.com

SETTING THE STAGE
Morgan State (8-16, 3-8) returns to action after a 12-day hiatus to host Norfolk State (16-11, 11-1) on Saturday (Feb. 23) afternoon at Hill Field House. Game time is slated for 4 p.m. ET.  The Bears fell short to Savannah State, 88-85, in Savannah on Feb. 11. Norfolk State posted a 76-58 victory against North Carolina A&T on Monday night, extending to a 3-game winning streak.

THE SERIES
• Saturday's contest will mark the 52nd matchup between the schools ... The Spartans lead the series 34-17.
•   Senior forward Kyle Thomas hit the game-winning shot with 30 seconds left and junior forward Phillip Carr had a career-high 29 points with 12 rebounds as Morgan State held on to beat Norfolk State 58-56 at Hill Field House on Jan. 4, 2017. 
• Norfolk State's last win against the Bears was on Feb. 3, 2018 --   Steven Whitley scored a career-high 20 points with seven assists, Nic Thomas also scored 20 points, and Norfolk State beat Morgan State 76-65. The Spartans shot 55.6 percent from long distance (10 of 18) and 51 percent from the field. Tiwian Kendley scored 16 of his team-high 19 points (6-17 FG) in the second half. Kyson Rawls scored 11 points and Martez Cameron 10 for the Bears.

BEAR BITS
• MSU ranks No. 10 in the nation by averaging 17.2 forced turnovers per game.
• MSU converted a school record 27-of-27 free throws during its contest versus Lincoln-Pa. (Jan. 3).
• The Bears rank No. 1 in the league in turnover margin (+3.28).
• MSU's bench outscored Savannah State by a 43-11 margin on Jan. 7, 2019.
• MSU had four players score in double-figures during the Bears matchup at South Carolina State (Feb. 9).
• Sophomore guard Kyson Rawls poured in a career-high 21 points off the bench against Bethune-Cookman (Jan. 26). 
• Morgan State converted a school record 27-of-27 free throws during its contest versus Lincoln-Pa. (Jan.3).

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
• Norfolk State head coach Robert Jones (SUNY New Paltz, '02) enters his fifth season as the Spartans head coach ... NSU has posted a .725 winning percentage in conference play and made four straight postseason appearances during his first five years in charge.
• NSU finished the 2017-18 season with a 14-19 overall mark and finished T-2nd in MEAC regular season play by posting an 11-5 record... The Spartans were defeated by North Carolina A&T, 70-64, in the 2018 MEAC Tournament quarterfinals.
• The Spartans have a pair of players averaging in double figures, led by graduate 6-2 guard Nic Thomas who is averaging 14.4 points (No. 9 in MEAC) and is shooting 39 percent from the field. Derrick Jamerson Jr., a 6-5 senior guard from Detroit, Mich., is averaging 11.3 points and is shooting 51 percent from the field. Steven Whitley, a 6-3 redshirt junior guard is chipping in 9.5 ppg.
• Jordan Butler, a  6-6 forward , leads the Spartans on the glass by averaging 6.5 rebounds per game (ranks No. 8 in the MEAC) and is adding 8.5 ppg
• NSU ranks No. 2 in the league in field goal percentage defense (.413), while limiting its opponents to score 69.6 points (No. 3 in MEAC).

LAST TIME OUT FOR THE SPARTANS
Alex Long had 17 points off the bench to lift Norfolk State to a 76-58 win over North Carolina A&T on Monday night.Steven Whitley had 15 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds for Norfolk State (16-11, 11-1 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference), which earned its sixth consecutive home victory. Nic Thomas added 12 points. Jordan Butler had seven rebounds for the hosts.

LAST TIME OUT FOR BEARS
 Stanley Davis scored 21 points with seven rebounds to lead three teammates in double-figure scoring for the Bears (8-16, 3-8). Tyrell Harper had 17 points and nine assists and Zach Sellers hit a 3-pointer to cap the scoring with 46 seconds left as Savannah State narrowly beat Morgan State 88-85 on February 9, 2019 at Tiger Arena.

AT THE HELM
Todd Bozeman enters his 13thyear at the helm as Morgan State men's head coach. The Bears have participated in six of the last 12 MEAC Tournament championships, captured back-to-back-MEAC Titles, and made appearances in the NIT and two NCAA Tournaments. 

WHO'S OUT
Morgan State's standouts Phillip Carr and guard Tiwian Kendley completed their careers as two of the school's all-time top players. Kendley, a 6-5 guard from Harlem, N.Y., has made his mark as one of the top players in school history. In his senior campaign, Kendleyaveraged 26.1 points per game and grabbed 4.0 rebounds per game while also averaging 2.1 steals per game. He is currently a member of the NBA G League's Washington Go-Gos. Carr is one of only seven players to wear the MSU uniform and score over 1,000 points with over 700 rebounds, totals that he accumulated in just three seasons as a Bear. Carr is currently playing for the New York Knicks team's G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.

WHO'S BACK
Back from last season's squad that finished with a 13-19 record are starters Martez Cameron and Antonio Gillespie, while Stanley Davis Jr. and David Syfax return to the Bears along with a number of contributors off the bench with: Tyler Streeter, LaPri McCray-Pace and Kyson Rawls.

WHO'S IN 
The Bears have added seven newcomers to the 2018-19 roster: G Ranell Bell; G Malik Miller;  G Sherwyn Devonish-Prince Jr.; G Isaiah Burke; F Jordan Little;  F Victor Curry; and F Taron Oliver Jr.

RETURNING PRODUCTION NUMBERS 
Morgan State returns 49.6 percent of its scoring, 28.4 percent of its rebounding and 55.1 percent of its minutes played totals from last year's team. The team leaders in field goal percentage (Tyler Streeter - .543 ), three-point percentage (Antonio Gillespie, .369), free throw percentage (Antonio Gillespie, .800), rebounding (David Syfax - 4.4 rpg), assists (Martez Cameron, 4.3), steals (Martez Cameron, 1.5),  blocked shots (David Syfax, 0.7). and minutes played (Martez Cameron, 32.6).  Six (6) players who started in at least five (5) games a year ago also return - Cameron (26), Davis (16), Gillespie (14 ), McCray-Pace(10), Rawls (6) and  Syfax(5).

BEWARE THE BEAR
Under the direction of Todd Bozeman, Morgan State has collected a couple of memorable wins against big-time opponents. The Bears have recorded historic wins against: Long Island (2009); Manhattan (2009); Arkansas (2009); DePaul (2008); and Maryland (2009).

HOME GROWN 
Morgan State has four players from the DMV (D.C., Maryland & Metropolitan-D.C.) area. Freshman point guard Sherwyn Devonish-Prince Jr. is from Bladensburg, Md. and graduated from Wise HS. Freshman guard Isaiah Burke is from Annapolis and was a prep standout at Bowie HS, while junior forward Taron Oliver, Jr. played for Montrose Christian and is from District Heights, Md. Freshman guard Malik Miller hails from Washington, D.C. and played at Friendship Tech Prep.

BOZEMAN'S RETURNING STAFF
Morgan State head basketball coach Todd Bozeman coaching staff returns for their fourth season. The Bears coaching staff consists of assistant coaches Brian Ellerbe, Larry Stewart, and Hans Desir.
• Ellerbe spent four years at Virginia, starting in 1990. He worked under Jeff Jones, now coach at Old Dominion. He was also the first African-American Head Coach at Loyola University, Maryland and The University of Michigan.
• Stewart was the Associate Head Coach for the Bowie State men's basketball team where he spent six seasons. He played with the NBA's Bullets, Vancouver Grizzlies and Seattle Super Sonics until 1997. His brother, Stephen, is an assistant coach at Coppin State.
• Desir, a Miami native, joins the Bears staff with over 10 years of coaching experience. he was previously lead assistant coach for J.T. Burton at Motlow College.

CHALLENGING NON-CONFERENCE SLATE
The year will open the 2018-19 season with three road matchups, first at Villanova Nov. 6, then at Saint Francis on Nov. 9, followed by DePaul on Nov. 12. The Bears' home-opener will be Nov. 15 versus Lincoln (Pa.), followed by a Nov. 20 date when they host the Naval Academy. The Bears will face Mount St. Mary's at Hill Field House on Nov. 25, and travel to George Mason on Nov. 28.  The Bears will face Virginia on Dec. 3 and will host Binghamton on Dec. 5. MSU will take on Towson on Dec. 8, followed by a matchup with Wilmington (Del.) on Dec. 17. MSU will wrap the month of December at Old Dominion (Dec. 22) and will travel to the west coast for a game at CA-Northridge Dec. 29.

PREDICTED TO FINISH SIXTH IN THE MEAC
The Morgan State men's basketball team has been tabbed to finish sixth in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Men's Basketball Poll the league announced today.  
• The Bears return two starters from last year's team, bringing back senior guards Martez Cameron and Antonio Gillespie. MSU also returns a few talented upperclassmen in senior guard Tyler Streeter and junior guard Stanley Davis and junior forward David Syfax.
• MSU was selected to finish sixth in 2018-19, earning 138 points in the poll of the league's head coaches and sports information directors who could not vote for their own team or team members. Bethune-Cookman edged out North Carolina Central for first place honors.
• Seven (7) Bears are back from a team that tied for seventh in the MEAC. Morgan State finished the year 7-9 in the conference and 13-19 overall. MSU's season ended with a 79-70 loss to North Carolina Central in the MEAC Tournament semifinals.
• The 2018 MEAC Basketball Tournament tips off March 5-10 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.  For more information about the MEAC and its sponsored sports, log on to www.MEACSports.com.

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Morgan State is averaging 72 points thru its first 24 games -- ranked No. 5 in scoring in the MEAC.
• They scored a season-high 89 in an overtime win at Howard (Jan. 15) and 87 points in an overtime loss vs. Savannah State (Jan. 7) and had 86 vs. CSUN (Dec. 29).
• MSU was limited to a season-low 45 points in a loss at No. 4 Virginia (Dec. 3).
• The Bears are shooting 39.8 percent from the floor and 72 percent from the charity stripe.

DISHING OUT DIMES
MSU senior point guard Martez Cameron led the Bears in assists during the 2017-18 by averaging just over four per game (4.4) in 31 games.
•  Cameron dished out a season-high 7 assists versus South Carolina State (Feb. 9) ... he also had six assists vs. Lincoln-Pa. (Jan. 3) and Savannah State (Jan. 7).
•  Thru 24 games, he's averaging 7.5 ppg, 2.6 rpg and 3.8 apg (ranks No. 9 in MEAC).
•  The Chicago product passed Bill Newton (1972-76; 421) to become No. 2 on the school's all-time assists leaderboard currently with 423 assists in 115 career games ... and counting ... currently 20 assists away from becoming the school's all-time leader.
•  The only Bears ahead of Cameron on the all-time assists list is ... No. 1 Jason McCoy (442).

CLOSE CALLS
After falling by three points last time out at Savannah State (88-85), Morgan State has played 16 games this season that have been decided by 10 points or fewer. Of those games 14 have been decided by seven points or fewer, including five by three points or fewer. The Bears last three games have been decided by an average margin of 3.0 points with the Coppin State, South Carolina State and Savannah State games coming down to the final possession. 

ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified doctoral research institution offering more than 100 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu. 

The National Trust for Historic Preservation named Morgan State University a National Treasure in 2016, in the latest significant effort towards preserving the rich cultural legacy of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The National Trust and Morgan State University have partnered to develop a preservation plan that stewards the many historic buildings on campus, while planning wisely for the university's future. To learn more about the Morgan State University National Treasure, visit www.savingplaces.org.