Game 25
Morgan State "Lady Bears" (12-12, 8-3 MEAC) at Norfolk State "Spartans" (14-8, 8-1 MEAC)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020
Site: Norfolk, Va. (Echols Hall)
Tip-off: 4 p.m.
Series Record: Norfolk State leads, 22-16
Gameday: Here
TV: N/A
Audio: HSRN.com
Watch: Here
Live Stats: www.nsuspartans.com
Website: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.nsuspartans.com
Game Notes: Morgan State | Norfolk State | MEAC
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 10, 2020)-The Morgan State women's basketball team will take to the road one final time during the regular season when it visits the Norfolk State Spartans on Saturday, Feb. 17 at 4 p.m. at Echols Hall in Norfolk, Va., followed by a trip to Orangeburg, S.C. to take on the South Carolina State Lady Bulldogs on Monday, Feb. 19 at 5:30 p.m. at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. Both games will be broadcast live on the Heritage Sports Radio Network at HSRN.com.
 
BEAR CLAWS: The Lady Bears (12-12, 8-3 MEAC), who are currently in a tie with North Carolina A&T for third-place in the league standings, are coming off an 86-79 victory at home on Monday over North Carolina Central. Dahnye Redd posted 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds to collect her fifth double-double of the season to lead Morgan State. Chelsea Mitchell finished with 20 points, six rebounds and a game-high five steals. Ashia McCalla scored 16 points and Jihaya Chavis 13 points and a game-high six assists. The Lady Bears have been led by Mitchell, who is averaging 14.8 points per game and 9.4 rebounds per contest. Redd is scoring 13.2 points and 7.8 rebounds, while McCalla is contributing 12.5 points per game.
 
MORGAN VS. NORFOLK STATE SERIES NOTES: Norfolk State leads the all-time series, 22-16. The Spartans won the lone meeting last season, 64-49 in Baltimore (2/23/19).
 
SPARTAN LEGION: Norfolk State (14-8, 8-1 MEAC), winners of two straight and eight of its last nine, is coming off a 65-57 overtime victory at home over Delaware State (2/8).  La'Deja James scored a game-high 27 points on 10-of-19 shooting and had a game-high four steals in the win. Cam Platt-Morris came off the bench to score 14 points, while Mikaela Jones finished with 11. Blaire Thomas hauled in a game-high 13 rebounds. The Spartans are led by Chanette Hicks, who is averaging 21.2 points per game and has recorded 101 steals and 101 assists for Norfolk State. James is scoring 13.6 points and Thomas leads the Spartans with 6.3 rebounds per game to go with 9.6 points.
  
NEXT UP: Morgan State close out regular season with its final three games being played at Hill Field House. First up for the Lady Bears will be a rematch against the Delaware State Hornets on Monday, Feb. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
 
CHAVIS MOVES INTO FIFTH ON STEALS CHART: Senior Jihayah Chavis totaled two steals against North Carolina Central (2/10) to give her 210 steals for her career and move past Monique Liddell (208 from 1996-00) for fifth.
 
LADY BEARS SUFFER FIRST HOME LOSS: Morgan State was a dealt its first home loss of the season, when Maryland Eastern Shore defeated the Lady Bears, 71-61 on Feb. 8 at Hill Field House. The loss dropped the Lady Bears to 6-1 at home this season and ended their seven-game home court winning streak dating back to last season. Two days later Morgan State regrouped and held off North Carolina Central, 86-79 on Feb. 10 to improve to 7-1 at Hill Field House.
 
IT'S HARD OUT THERE ON THE ROAD: The Lady Bears overcame a 15-point deficit, including being down 13-0 to start the game, to defeat Maryland Eastern Shore (1/27). Morgan State improved to 5-11 on the road this season, including 0-2 in neutral contests. Two days earlier the Lady Bears came from 12 points down late in the third quarter to defeat Coppin State (1/25).
 
THIRD QUARTER DOMINANCE: Morgan State has outscored its opponents in the third quarter by a whopping 70 points (403-333). In the win over Howard (2/1), the Lady Bears limited Howard to just three points in the third period.
 
STREAK ENDERS: When the Lady Bears defeated North Carolina A&T, 42-38 at Hill Field House (1/20), the win put an end to the Lady Aggies' 28-game regular season winning streak over MEAC opposition. It would not be the first time that the women's basketball program was responsible for ending a lengthy MEAC winning streak. During the 2007 MEAC Tournament (3/9), Morgan State came-from-behind to defeat defending champion Coppin State, 69-67 in overtime in the semifinal round. The win ended a 14-game losing slide to Coppin State, as well as put to rest a 49-game winning streak against MEAC opponents by the Eagles.
 
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.