Game 18
Morgan State "Lady Bears" 6-11, 2-2 MEAC) vs. Howard "Lady Bison" (10-7, 2-2 MEAC)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020
Site: Baltimore, Md. (Hill Field House)
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Series Record: Howard leads, 52-19
Gameday: Here
TV: N/A
Audio: HSRN.com
Watch: Here
Live Stats: here
Website: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.hubison.com
Game Notes: Morgan State | Howard | MEAC
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 14, 2020)-Morgan State welcomes beltway rival Howard to Hill Field House on Saturday, Jan. 18 for a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) contest. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. It will be the 72^nd edition of the Battle of the Beltways, which Howard holds a commanding 52-19 series advantage.
  
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (6-11, 2-2 MEAC) had its season-long two-game winning streak snapped, following a 74-65 loss at Bethune-Cookman on Monday. Ashia McCalla scored a game-high 21 points and Ja'Niah Henson came off the bench to score 13 in the loss. Dahnye Redd added 10 points for the Lady Bears, who had their season-long two-game winning streak snapped, while falling for the seventh consecutive time to Bethune-Cookman. Chelsea Mitchell, who entered the contest averaging a team-leading 9.4 rebounds, was ranked eighth in the nation in offensive rebounds and was the team's leading scorer at 14.6 points per game. Mitchell would be held without a rebound and was limited to just three points against the Lady Wildcats. It was the first time this season that Mitchell was held without a rebound and was her lowest point total of the season, since scoring four points at Nebraska (11/14). Morgan State is led by Mitchell, who is averaging 13.9 points per game and a team-leading 8.8 rebound per contest. Redd is adding 13 points and seven rebounds a game, while McCalla is scoring 12.6 points per outing. Morgan State is averaging 63.7 points per game and is allowing opponents 61.4 points a game.
 
MSU VS. HOWARD SERIES NOTES: Howard leads the all-time series, 52-19 and has won seven of the last 11 meetings, including three straight in the Battle of the Beltways. Last season the Lady Bison swept the season series, defeating Morgan State, 79-56 in the first meeting in Washington, D.C. (1/15), followed by a 74-62 win in Baltimore (2/25).
 
BISON HOOVES: Howard (10-7, 2-2 MEAC), which wrapped up a three-game home stand, ended a two-game losing skid with a 78-47 victory over South Carolina State (1/13). Jayla Thornton scored a game-high 14 points to lead five Lady Bison players in double figures scoring. Sarah Edmond scored 13 points, while Ayonna Williams and Krislyn Marsh each scored 12 points. Marsh finished with a game-high four blocks and eight rebounds, while Imani Bryant tallied a game-high 14 rebounds. Iyanna Warren came off the bench to score 10 points and dished out a game-high eight assists. Howard out rebounded South Carolina State, 56-34. The Lady Bison have been paced by Williams, who is averaging 14.1 points per game. Edmond is adding 13.9 points and leads the team in assists (64) and steals (29). Thornton is scoring 13.5 points per game, while Marsh is pulling down a team-leading 6.9 rebounds per outing. Howard enters the game as the league's top scoring team at 69.8 points per game, while surrendering 67.9 points to its opponents.
 
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears close out their two-game home stand against defending MEAC regular season champion North Carolina A&T on Monday, Jan. 20 at 5:30 p.m.
 
SKRIPKINA HAS BREAKOUT: Lana Skripkina scored a season- and team-high 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting, including 3-for-5 from three-point range in the win at Florida A&M (1/11). She also tied a season-high three rebounds. A native of Russia, Skripkina's previous high was eight points at Nebraska (11/14).
 
MITCHELL PICKS UP ANOTHER MEAC HONOR: Chelsea Mitchell was named MEAC Co-Player of the Week on Tuesday, Jan. 7 to earn her fourth MEAC weekly honor this season. She previously was named MEAC Defensive (11/26), Co-Defensive (11/12) and MEAC Co-Player of the Week (12/17) honors. The Columbia, Md. native averaged a double-double for the week, recording 23 points and 15.5 rebounds per game in two contests, while shooting a combined 19-for-36 (.528) from the floor. Mitchell began the week scoring a game-high 25 points and grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds, while adding three steals and a block at Delaware State (1/4). She then recorded a 21-point, 16-rebound performance against South Carolina State (1/6).
 
I'M COMING HOME: Senior guard Sydney Searcy returned to her home state of Florida when the Lady Bears visited Florida A&M (1/11) and Bethune-Cookman (1/13). A native of Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., Searcy spent her first two seasons at the University of Florida, before transferring to Morgan State and sitting out the 2018-19 campaign. She scored a season-best six points at Bethune-Cookman and pulled down three rebounds, while recording an assist, steal and a block.
 
MAKE IT A DOUBLE: Chelsea Mitchell picked up her team– and MEAC-leading seventh double-double of the season in a victory at Florida A&M (1/11). Mitchell finished with a game-high 11 points and had a game-best 13 rebounds.
 
MITCHELL RANKS FOURTH NATIONALLY IN STEALS: Chelsea Mitchell ranks fourth in the nation in total steals (63) and is seventh in steals per game with 3.71. The senior guard leads the Lady Bears in steals this season and picked up four more thefts at Bethune-Cookman (1/13) to give her 142 for her career, which is tied for 12th on the Morgan State charts.
 
MARYLAND'S FINEST: Of all the leading rebounders of the eight Division I women's basketball programs in the State of Maryland, Morgan State's Chelsea Mitchell ranks second with 8.8 rebounds per game. A native of Columbia, Md., Mitchell has led the Lady Bears in rebounding 12 times, including a season-best 16 rebounds against South Carolina State (1/6). She was held without a rebound in the loss at Bethune-Cookman (1/13), which marked the first time this season she failed to grab a rebound.
 
Rk. Name, School                                    Rebounds
1. Stephanie Karcz, Loyola-Maryland                  9.3
2. Chelsea Mitchell, Morgan State                    8.8
3. Chance Graham, Coppin State                        8.7
4. Kaila Charles, Maryland                                   8.0
5. Janee'a Summers, UMBC                               7.7
6. Nukiya Mayo, Towson                                     7.1
7. Sophie Gatzounas, Navy                                 5.0
8. Amanda Carney, Maryland Eastern Shore      4.6
 
THE MAIN EVENT: The Lady Bears were the main event in their MEAC opener doubleheader at Delaware State (1/4). The contest followed the men's game and marked the first time in nearly three decades that the women's team followed the men's game in a MEAC doubleheader.
 
MORGAN STATE TO HONOR ELIJAH CUMMINGS: Throughout the 2019-20 season, Morgan State student-athletes will celebrate the life of longtime Baltimore Congressman Elijah Cummings, who passed away on October 17, 2019, at the age of 68. In honor of Congressman Cummings and all of his many positive contributions to the University and his district, all Morgan State athletic teams will wear a special commemorative "EC" patch on their jerseys throughout the season. The Bears' football team helmets were also adorned with an EC decal. The patch is a black circle with the initials "EC" in the center in orange letters and outlined in white. Congressman Cummings has a long history with Morgan State University and over the years has been one of its most staunch supporters. In addition to hosting many of his youth workshops and annual career fairs at Morgan, he also served on the University's Board of Regents for 19 years after having been appointed in July 1999 (he missed one year due to other commitments at the time.
 
MORGAN STATE 'GRIT': The Morgan State athletic department has adopted the slogan GRIT for the 2019-20 athletic campaign. GRIT, which stands for Growth, Resiliency, Integrity and Teamwork, was introduced by Morgan State Director of Athletics Dr. Edward Scott at the start of the Fall semester. GRIT will define all 15 of Morgan State's athletic teams on and off the field of play this season.
 
IT'S HARD OUT THERE ON THE ROAD: The Lady Bears recently earned a split on the road during their trip to Florida (Jan. 11-13) to improve to 2-11 on the road this season, including 0-2 in neutral contests. Morgan State began with a 59-47 victory at Florida A&M (1/11) to end a seven-game losing streak away from Hill Field House. The Lady Bears then dropped a 74-65 decision at Bethune-Cookman (1/13).
 
MORGAN PICKED SEVENTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish seventh in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason poll, as voted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. Last year, the Lady Bears were picked to finish sixth, and went 10-21 overall and finished 8-8 in the MEAC to finish sixth.
 
UNBEATEN STREAKS ON THE LINE: The Lady Bears entered the 2019-20 campaign looking to remain unbeaten against three teams on the schedule: Notre Dame-Maryland, Washington Adventist and Hofstra. The Lady Bears were successful in extending their winning streaks against both Notre Dame-Maryland (4-0) and Washington Adventist (5-0), but suffered its first loss to Hofstra (2-1).
 
TOURNAMENT EXPOSURE: Six of Morgan State's 2019-20 opponents advanced to postseason play last season in Marquette-2nd round, Michigan-2nd round and Bethune-Cookman-1st round (NCAA Women's Tournament); North Carolina A&T State-1st round (Women's National Invitational Tournament); Akron-1st round and Marshall-2nd round (Women's Basketball Invitational).
 
SAYING GOODBYE: Morgan State will say goodbye to five seniors at the conclusion of the season. Four-year member Jihayah Chavis, three-year member Chelsea Mitchell along with Dawn Gipson, Sydney Searcy and Dezyree Morales, who all came to Morgan State a year ago as juniors, will be honored on 'Senior Night' prior to their final home game at Hill Field House against Norfolk State (3/5/20).
 
2020 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2020 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 9-14 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.