2021-22 MEAC Preseason Poll/Teams

NORFOLK, Va. (Oct. 21, 2021)-The Morgan State Lady Bears basketball team was picked to finish second in the 2021-22 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Poll, presented by TowneBank as announced by the league office on Thursday morning.
 
It marks the second consecutive season that the Lady Bears have been picked to finish second in the league's preseason poll. Last season, Morgan State was picked to finish second in the then MEAC Northern Division poll behind Norfolk State. With teams opting out of play during the 2020-21 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Norfolk State would get moved to the league's southern division and MSU would go on to finish second in the northern division behind Howard.
 
Howard, which reached the title game last season, was picked to claim the 2021-22 crown with eight first-place votes and 113 points. Morgan State, who reached the semifinal round a year ago, falling to eventual tournament champion North Carolina A&T State, received four first-place votes and 108 points for second. Norfolk State (91 points) was picked third, while North Carolina Central (77 points) and Maryland Eastern Shore (two first-place votes, 64 points) were picked to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. Coppin State (60 points), who also earned two first-place votes, was picked sixth and Delaware State (35 points/7th) and South Carolina State (28 points/8th) rounded out the eight-team preseason standings.

Individually, Morgan State had four players named to MEAC Preseason Teams, led by graduate player Dahnye Redd, who was named MEAC Preseason Player of the Year. Redd becomes the first Lady Bear to receive that honor since Morgan State star and 2021 MSU Hall of Fame inductee Corin "Tiny" Adams earned the selection for the 2009-10 season.
 
Joining Redd on the league's preseason first team was senior Ashia McCalla and junior Ja'Niah Henson. Junior Adia Brisker was named to the third team.
 
The MEAC Preseason Poll and Teams were announced during the MEAC's Virtual Basketball Coaches Preseason Video Conference, which was held Thursday. The event was held digitally across Zoom for the second year in a row.
 
All predicted order of finish and preseason all-conference awards were voted on by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.
 
A first-team All-MEAC selection from last season, Redd scored in double figures 11 times in 15 games, including a pair of 20-game efforts and two double-doubles. She ranked sixth in the league in scoring (13.5) and rebounding (7.3) last season. She also ranked fifth in the MEAC in offensive rebounds (3.1), seventh in free throw percentage (.773) and eighth in field goal percentage (.403). In MEAC play, Redd was fifth in field goal percentage (.400), seventh in scoring (12.5) and ninth in rebounding (6.9). The Darby, Pa. native was a MEAC Co-Player of the Week selection (1/9) and a two-time College Sports Madness MEAC Player of the Week (11/30 and 1/4).
 
McCalla started all 16 games in 2021 and averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. An All-MEAC third team selection a year ago, McCalla ranked 15^th in the MEAC in scoring and reached double figures in scoring 11 times. The Greenbelt, Md. native recorded a season-high 21 points, connecting on 8-of-16 from the field, five rebounds, two steals and an assist against Navy (12/18).
 
Henson earned All-MEAC second team honors during the 2020-21 campaign after averaging 11.3 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists in 31.4 minutes per game. A College Sports Madness MEAC Player of the Week (2/8), Henson started all 16 games and ranked 14^th in the MEAC in scoring and was third in free throw percentage. A native of Baltimore, Md., she tied a season-high 19 points on 6-of-11 shooting, including 4-of-8 from behind the three-point arc, while adding two rebounds and one assists in the MEAC quarterfinal game against North Carolina Central (3/11).
 
Redd, McCalla and Henson were joined on the first team by Aliyah Lawson (Coppin State) and Anzhane' Hutton (Howard).
 
Brisker concluded her sophomore campaign and first season as a Lady Bear by being named to the MEAC All-Tournament Team last season. She started in three of the 16 games and averaged 8.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. A native of Pittsburgh, Pa., Brisker recorded a season-high 23 points, while shooting 7-of-8 from the free throw line (87%) and grabbed three rebounds in the MEAC semifinal game against North Carolina A&T State (3/12).
 
Joining Brisker on the third team were Janasia Law (Delaware State), Brooklyn Bailey and Bairesha Gill-Miles (Maryland Eastern Shore) and Necole Hope (North Carolina Central).
 
The Lady Bears kick off the 2021-22 campaign out west when they visit the University of San Francisco on Tuesday, Nov. 9, before facing Stanford on Thursday, Nov. 11. The Lady Bears' first home contest will be against Notre Dame of Maryland on Friday, Nov. 19 at 6 p.m. inside Hill Field House.
 
The 2022 MEAC Basketball Tournament will take place March 9-12 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
 
The MEAC Media Relations Office contributed to this release.
 
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 
There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
• Follow us on social media:
 Facebook: /MorganStateBears
 Twitter: @MorganStBears
 Instagram: /MorganStateBears

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.