Game 27 (MEAC Contest)
Opponent: vs. Howard (15-11, 8-5 MEAC)
Date: Monday, Feb. 25, 2019
Site: Baltimore, Md. | Hill Field House
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m.
Series Record: Howard leads the series, 51-19
TV: None
Live Video: Flohoops.com | Live Stats: here
Radio: WEAA 88.9 FM/HSRN.com
Game Day: here  
MSU Notes | Howard Notes
 
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 24, 2019)-The Morgan State women's basketball team will close out the month of February and its brief two-game homestand on Monday, Feb. 25, when it plays host to Beltway rival Howard in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contest at Hill Field House. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. and will be broadcast live on Flohoops.com. This will be the 71st edition of the Battle of the Beltways.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (8-18, 6-6 MEAC) is in the midst of a two-game losing skid, following a 64-49 loss to Norfolk State on Saturday. Adre'onia Coleman scored 11 of her game-high 20 points in the fourth quarter in the loss. Coleman also added seven rebounds and three steals, both game highs. Kayla Horn finished with 11 points, while Jihayah Chavis scored 10 and had a game-high six steals. Coleman has paced the Lady Bears all season long in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game to go with her team-leading 8.1 rebounds per game. Ashia McCalla is averaging 9.4 points per outing. The Lady Bears are averaging 53.7 points, while allowing 64.0 points per game. Chavis is scoring 9.0 points to go with her team-high 61 assists and team-best 55 steals. Morgan State is averaging 53.5 points per contest, while surrendering 64 points to its opponents. The Lady Bears are currently in sixth-place in the league standings.
 
THE RISIN' BISON: Howard (15-11, 8-5 MEAC), traveled to Baltimore, Md. on Saturday and defeated Coppin State, 88-81 to spoil the Eagles' homecoming festivities. Howard had three players combine for 69 of the 88 points. Sarah Edmond, a New York native, had an outstanding game, finishing with a game-high 26 points on 8-for-13 shooting from the field, including 5-for-7 from the three-point line in 27 minutes of play. Ayonna Williams heated up with a solid 20 points on 7-of-12 shooting and was a perfect 6-for-6 from the free throw line, while Jayla Thornton contributed 23 points, going 5-for-12 from three-point range. Imani Bryant led the Lady Bison with 12 rebounds. Edmonds leads four Howard players in double figures scoring, with 16.3 points per game and is second on the team in assists (84) and steals (35). Thornton is averaging 12.7 points and has knocked down a team-high 71 three pointers, while Williams is scoring 12.5 points and leads Howard in assists (88) and steals (50). Krislyn Marsh is averaging 10 points and 7.4 rebounds and Bryant leads the team with 7.6 boards per contest and has a team-high 30 blocked shots. The Lady Bison, who currently sit in fifth in the league standings, are averaging 71.9 points a game and are surrendering 68.6 points to their opponents.
 
MSU VS. HU SERIES NOTES: Howard leads the all-time series, 51-19. The Lady Bison have won two straight in the Battle of the Beltways, including this season's first meeting, 79-56 in Washington, D.C. (1/15). 
 
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears will take to the road one final time for the regular season when they visit MEAC rivals Delaware State and Maryland Eastern Shore. Morgan State will take on the Hornets on Saturday, March 2 at 2 p.m. in Dover, Del., before visiting the Hawks on Monday, March 4 in Princess Anne, Md.
 
FAREWELL: Morgan State and Savannah State squared off one final time during the regular season in their annual 'Orange & Blue' battle on Monday, Feb. 11 at Tiger Arena in Savannah, Ga. The Lady Tigers would win, 53-35. Savannah State will leave the conference and return to the Division II level at the end of the 2018-19 academic calendar. The Lady Bears' win over the Lady Tigers (1/7) marked the final meeting in Baltimore between the two programs as members of the MEAC.
 
LADY BEARS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT: Morgan State recorded its first three-game winning streak of the season, following victories over Florida A&M (1/28), at Coppin State (2/2) and at South Carolina State (2/9). It was the Lady Bears' first three-game winning streak since last season (Dec. 28, 2017-Jan. 8, 2018), when Morgan State had a four-game winning streak, which began with a road win at UMass Lowell (12/28), followed by home wins over Maryland Eastern Shore (1/3), Florida A&M (1/6) and Savannah State (1/8).
 
BURST IN SCORING: As a team, the Lady Bears are averaging 53.7 points per game. However, during its season-long three-game winning streak, Morgan State upped its scoring to 70.6 points a game. The 75 points scored against Florida A&M (1/28) are the most points scored this season. 
 
FEELING COMFORTABLE ON THE ROAD: After beginning the season dropping its first eight true road games and going a combined 0-11 away from Hill Field House, Morgan State put together a three-game road winning streak, following its 63-61 victory at South Carolina State (2/9). That winning streak would come to an end with a 53-35 loss at Savannah State (2/11).
 
ANOTHER WEEK-LONG LAYOFF: Morgan State enters Saturday's Norfolk State contest coming off a 12-day layoff between its last game. The Lady Bears are 2-3 this season when coming off a layoff of seven or more days. This will be the sixth such layoff this season for Morgan State and its second longest of the season. The Lady Bears had a season-long 13-day layoff from Dec. 2-15, which resulted in a loss at Michigan.
            - Nov. 9-16 (7 days): L, at Stephen F. Austin (11/16/18)
            - Dec. 2-15 (13 days): L, at Michigan (12/15/18)
            - Dec. 20-29 (9 days): W, vs. UMass Lowell (12/29/18)
            - Dec. 29-Jan. 5 (7 days): L, Maryland Eastern Shore (1/5/19)
            - Feb. 2-9 (7 days): W, at South Carolina State (2/9/19)
            - Feb. 11-23 (12 days): L, vs. Norfolk State (2/23/19)
 
FAITHFUL EIGHT: With the dismissal of three players prior to the start of the season due to conduct detrimental to the team, two players sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules and a fourth player removing herself from the team, the Lady Bears have gone into battle each game with eight strong and dedicated players. Despite a tough non-conference schedule and the shortage of numbers, the Lady Bears have fought in every game and have picked up their play since the start of the MEAC schedule. 
 
DAVIS RECORDS VICTORY NO. 370: Morgan State head coach Ed Davis Jr. recorded career coaching victory 370, following the Lady Bears' win over UMass Lowell (12/29). Davis, who is in his seventh season with the Lady Bears and third as head coach, has an overall record of 376-298. 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.
 
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.