Game 14
Morgan State "Lady Bears" (4-9, 0-0 MEAC) at Delaware State "Hornets" (4-9, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020
Site: Dover, Del. (Memorial Hall)
Tip-off: 4 p.m.
Series Record: Delaware State leads, 43-35
Gameday: Here
TV: N/A
Audio: HSRN.com
Watch: N/A
Live Stats: DSUHornets.com
Website: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.DSUHornets.com
Game Notes: Morgan State | Delaware State | MEAC
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 4, 2020)-The Morgan State, which has not played since Dec. 21, 2019 against Akron in the finale of the Puerto Rico Clasico, will begin the New Year on the road when it travels to Dover, Del. to face the Delaware State Hornets in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener for both teams on Saturday, Jan. 4. Tip-off is at 4 p.m. at Memorial Hall.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (4-9), which is riding a two-game losing streak and has lost six of its last seven contests, is coming off back-to-back losses to Stony Brook (12/20) and Akron (12/21) in the Puerto Rico Clasico. Ashia McCalla scored a game-high 17 points, while shooting 5-of-9 from three-point range to account for all of Morgan State's three-pointers made. Chelsea Mitchell shot 7-of-12 to finish with 15 points, grabbed a team-high seven rebounds, had a game-high two blocks and recorded a team-high two steals. Mitchell is averaging a team-leading 13.5 points per game to lead three Lady Bears' in double figures scoring. Mitchell also leads the squad in rebounding with 8.2 boards per game. Dahnye Redd is second in scoring (13.4), as well as rebounding (6.5) and Ashia McCalla is averaging 12.2 points per outing. Morgan State is scoring 63.2 points per game, while surrendering 62.1 points to its opponents.
 
MSU VS. DELAWARE STATE SERIES NOTES: Delaware State has won three straight and leads the all-time series over Morgan State, 43-35. The Hornets won last season's lone meeting, 62-57 in Dover, Del. (3/2/19). The Lady Bears' last win over Delaware State was a 71-52 victory at Memorial Hall (2/20/17).
 
HORNET STINGERS: Delaware State also enters Saturday's contest with 4-9 mark. Delaware State began the season starting 3-1, including a 67-64 road win over State rival, the University of Delaware. It was the Hornets' first win over the Blue Hens in 12 tries. Delaware State, which is in the midst of a four-game losing skid, has lost eight of its last nine games. The Hornets are coming off a tough 71-69 non-conference overtime loss at home to Rider (12/30). Rider's Lea Favre scored on a hook shot with .7 seconds remaining to give the Broncs the win. Delaware State was led by Sharajah Collins, who finished with a team-high 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting. Lanayjha Ashe added 13 points, while Zoe Holmes pulled down a team-best 10 rebounds for the Hornets. Collins leads the Hornets with 13.7 points per game and Lyric Turner is scoring 12.1 points per contest. Holmes is the leading rebounder for Delaware State, averaging 5.2 rebounds. The Hornets are averaging 62.5 points per game and allowing 70 points per contest.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will play its first home game of 2020 when it welcomes the Bulldogs of South Carolina State on Monday, Jan. 6. Tip-off is at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House.
 
THE MAIN EVENT: The Lady Bears' Jan. 4, 2020 MEAC contest at Delaware State will be played at 4 p.m. instead of the original 2 p.m. slate. Morgan State's men's team will instead battle the Hornets at 2 p.m. It will mark the first time in nearly three decades that the women's team will follow the men's game in a MEAC doubleheader.
 
DAVIS RETURNS TO THE HORNETS NEST: Morgan head coach Ed Davis Jr. will make his fourth trip back to Memorial Hall as an opposing head coach on Jan. 4, 2020 when the Lady Bears travel to Delaware State for the MEAC opener. Davis, who once patrolled the sideline for 12 seasons as the head coach of Delaware State, has dropped his last two visits to Dover, Del., falling to 1-2 and a combined 4-2 in six trips to Memorial Hall since joining Morgan as an assistant during the 2012-13 season. The Lady Bears have a 7-4 all-time record against DSU, including 2-3 as the head coach of the Lady Bears, since Davis joined the Morgan State staff.
 
CHAVIS MOVES INTO SEVENTH ON STEALS CHART: Senior Jihayah Chavis had four steals at Hofstra (12/4) to move a steal past former Lady Bear Lisa Mickens (174 from 1997-01) for seventh all-time at Morgan State with 175. Chavis, who has since recorded a career-high seven more steals against Stony Brook (12/20), currently has 187 steals for her career, is now 15 steals away from passing Whitney Johnson (201 from 2003-07) for sixth.
 
MITCHELL MOVES INTO 14TH ON STEALS CHART: Chelsea Mitchell recorded two steals in the loss to Stony Brook (12/20), giving her 126 for her career to move past the late Tracey Carrington, who collected 124 steals from 2011-15, for sole possession of 14th all-time at Morgan State. Mitchell, who currently has 128 steals, is now 11 away from passing Debbie Grey (138 from 1985-90) for 13th.

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: Morgan State wrapped up its season-long seven-game stretch away from home with a tough 65-63 overtime loss at UMBC (12/15). The Lady Bears, who are 1-9 on the road thus far this season, including 0-2 in neutral contests, went 1-6 during the seven-game road swing.