Game 1 (Season Opener)
Morgan State "Lady Bears" (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) at San Francisco "Dons" (0-0, 0-0 WCC)
Date: Tuesday, November 9, 2021
Site: San Francisco, Calif. (War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center)
Tip-off: 8 p.m. ET
Series: First Meeting
TV: WCC Network
Live Stream: Here
Live Stats: Here
Notes: Morgan State | San Francisco

BALTIMORE, Md. (Nov. 9, 2021)-The Morgan State women's basketball team begins the season on the road, when it travels to California to face the University of San Francisco on Tuesday, Nov. 9, before facing defending National Champion and #3-ranked Stanford on Thursday, Nov. 11. This will be the first meeting for Morgan State against both programs.
 
The San Francisco contest, which will be the season opener for both teams, will get underway at 8 p.m. ET from War Memorial Gym at the Sobrato Center. Fans can watch the game here and follow along with live stats here.
 
The Dons finished the 2020-21 season 16-11 overall and 10-7 in the West Coast Conference (WCC), which was good for fourth in the league. USF would make it to the second round of the WNIT, defeating Houston (71-63) in the first round, before falling to California Baptist (90-82).
 
The Dons were picked to finish fourth again this season in the WCC Preseason Poll, while redshirt sophomore Ioanna Krimili was selected to the conference's all-preseason team. Krimili was named the WCC's Newcomer of the Year last season, after breaking the USF record for most three point shots made in a season with 97. She would shoot 46% from beyond the arc, leading the conference and the Dons in points (510), points per game (18.9) and minutes played (32.9).
 
MSU VS. SAN FRANCISCO: This will be the first meeting.
 
NEXT UP: After facing third-ranked and defending national champion Stanford on Thursday, Nov. 9, the Lady Bears will travel to Columbia, Mo. to face the Tigers of the University of Missouri on Sunday, Nov. 14 at 2 p.m.
 
GOING BACK TO CALI: Morgan State opens up the 2021-22 season with a trip to California where it will face the University of San Francisco in the season opener on Nov. 9, followed by a match-up against #3 Stanford on Thursday, Nov. 11. It will be the program's first trip back to California since the 2001-02 season, when the Lady Bears faced both Cal State Fullerton and the University of Southern California.
 
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears are 12-32 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following a 67-58 home victory over Maryland Baltimore County (11/25) last season. It was just the second season opening win for the Lady Bears in eight years. Morgan State at one point had lost 23 straight season openers, prior to winning three straight from 2006-08.
 
MORGAN PICKED SECOND IN MEAC NORTH: Morgan State was picked to finish second in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Poll, as voted by the league's head coaches and sports information directors. It marked 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, and did just that. The Lady Bears would go 12-4 overall and went 8-2 in division play to place second. Morgan would advance to the semifinals of the MEAC Tournament, falling to eventual champion, North Carolina A&T.
 
REDD NAMED MEAC PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Graduate player Dahnye Redd was named 2021-22 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. 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. The Darby, Pa. native 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). She 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 11/4).
 
MCCALLA, HENSON, BRISKER EARN PRESEASON ALL-MEAC HONORS: Senior guard Ashia McCalla and junior guard Ja'Niah Henson were selected to the Preseason All-MEAC first team and junior forward Adia Brisker was named to the third team. McCalla started all 16 games a season ago and averaged 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game. A native of Greenbelt, Md., McCalla, who was an All-MEAC third team selection a year ago, ranked 15^th in the MEAC in scoring and reached double figures in scoring 11 times. A native of Baltimore, Md., Henson earned All-MEAC second team honors during 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. 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). 
 
GRAHAM NAMED ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH: Morgan State head coach Edward Davis on Thursday, Oct. 21, officially announced the promotion of Donchez Graham to associate head coach, effective immediately. Graham, who is in his second stint at Morgan State, enters his 10^th overall season with the Lady Bears' program and first as associate head coach. Graham had previously spent four seasons at MSU, joining the staff for the 2005-06 campaign. During his first stint, Graham helped lead the Lady Bears to 58 victories in those four seasons. In his second season, the Lady Bears reached the 2007 MEAC title game and by the third season they had set a school record 19 wins on the Division I level. After successful stints at West Virginia University and the University of Charleston in South Carolina, Graham returned to Morgan State for the 2016-17 season.
 
UNBEATEN STREAKS ON THE LINE: Morgan State will enter the 2021-22 campaign looking to remain unbeaten against two teams on the schedule: Notre Dame of Maryland and Washington Adventist. The Lady Bears, who are 4-0 all-time against the Gators, will host Notre Dame of Maryland on Nov. 19 and the Shock of Washington Adventist on Nov. 24. Morgan State and Notre Dame last met on Nov. 8, 2019 at Hill Field House, with the Lady Bears earning a 113-34 victory. Morgan State and Washington Adventist last met also during the 2019-20 season with the Lady Bears handing the Shock an 84-52 loss on Nov. 11, 2019. Morgan State improved to 5-0 all-time against the Shock with the win.
 
WELCOME TO THE FAMILY: The Lady Bears welcome a total of eight newcomers this season, including three transfer players who are coming from four-year Universities and five freshmen. Senior forward Charlene Shepherd comes to Morgan State from the University of North Texas, senior forward Taylor Addison transferred from Mount St. Mary's University and junior forward Sunshine McCrae transferred from UNC-Wilmington. They are joined by freshmen forward Joel Benoit (Sacramento, Calif./Inderkum HS), guard Emily Jones (San Francisco, Calif./Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory), guard Alaina Payne (Fort Worth, Texas/North Crowley HS), forward Kaia Ponder (Dallas, Texas/Richardson HS) and forward Fatima Black (Oklahoma City, Okla./Norman North HS).
 
REMATCH: Two of Morgan State's non-conference opponents this season, at Saint Peter's (Nov. 29) and at Navy (Dec. 2) are rematches from the 2020-21 campaign. Morgan State went 2-0 at home against those opponents, defeating Saint Peter's, 65-57 and Navy 67-63.
 
FIVE DIVISION I TRANSFERS ON ROSTER: The 2021-22 Morgan State roster will feature a total of five Division I transfers, including one graduate player. Last season Morgan State had a total of six Division I transfers on the roster. Headlining this season's list is graduate, Jayla Atmore, who transferred to Morgan State a year ago from the University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Junior Adia Brisker (Niagara University) also came to Morgan State last season. Atmore and Brisker are joined by senior newcomers Taylor Addison (Mount St. Mary's) and Charlene Shepherd (North Texas) and junior Sunshine McCrae (UNC-Wilmington).   
 
PROTECTING THE 'HOUSE': During last year's abbreviated season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MSU picked up right where it left off the season before, by defending its home floor. The Lady Bears won their first three home games to start this season. After dropping its MEAC opener to Howard (1/2), thus ending a seven-game home winning streak, the Lady Bears bounced back to win Game 2 the next day against Howard (1/3) to improve to 4-1 at home at the time. Morgan State, which has won 17 of its last 19 home games dating back to the 2018-19 season finale, closed out last season with a 10-1 record at Hill Field House, which was the program's best home court mark since the 2017-18 team finished 10-3.

TURNING UP THE PRESSURE: Morgan State forced an opponent season-high 31 turnovers out of Howard last season in its 71-58 victory over the Bison (1/3). The Lady Bears converted those 31 turnovers into a season-best 35 points. The 31 turnovers surpassed the previous opponent high of 26 by Saint Peter's (12/5).

MSU SECURES NON-CONFERENCE WINNING RECORD: The Morgan State Lady Bears went 3-1 in non-conference play during last season's shortened schedule due to the Covid-19 pandemic to secure their first non-conference winning record since the 2017-18 campaign (7-6). Morgan State, which began the season 3-0, secured its winning record, following a 67-63 victory over the Naval Academy (12/18). The Lady Bears' lone loss came in their non-conference finale at crosstown rival Towson (12/20).
 
SAYING GOODBYE: The Lady Bears will say goodbye to a total of eight seniors, including three graduate players at the conclusion of the season. Four-year member Ashia McCalla, three-year members and graduate players Elaija Demeza and Dahnye Redd, two-year member and graduate player Jayla Atmore and two-year members Carrie Lee and Khaliah Hines, along with newcomers Taylor Addison and Charlene Shepherd will be honored. Morgan State will honor its seniors on 'Senior Night' when the Lady Bears host Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday, Feb. 28 in the home finale at Hill Field House.
 
2022 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 11-13, 2021 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va. 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.
      
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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering more than 126 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, 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.