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Game 11
Opponent: Mount St. Mary's Mountaineers (3-8)
Date: Saturday, December 18, 2021
Site: Knott Arena, Emmitsburg, Md.
Game Time: 4 p.m. EST
Live Stream: NEC Front Row (necfrontrow.com)
Radio: Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com)
Live Stats: here
MSU Coaches: MSU -Kevin Broadus (70-55, 3rd yr) • MSMU - Dan Engelstad (35-62, 4th yr)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.mountathletics.com
SETTING THE STAGE
Morgan State (4-6) will continue non-conference action when they travel to face Mount St. Mary's (3-7) on Saturday, December 18. The Bears look to bounce back from a 94-55 loss at Longwood on Saturday (Dec. 11). The Mount will enter the contest coming off a 72-66 home overtime loss against American on Saturday (Dec. 11). Saturday's game will also be streamed on NEC Front Row (necfrontrow.com) and broadcast by HSRN.com. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
THE SERIES
Saturday's contest will mark the fourth meeting between the schools ... MSU leads the series 2-1.
• Nov. 25, 2020 -- Morgan State dropped a 62-55 contest against Mount St. Mary's at Hill Field House in the 2020-21 season opener. Malik Miller led the team with a game-high 19 points behind 8-for-12 shooting from the field. He also added eight rebounds and a steal while playing 33 minutes. Troy Baxter Jr. posted 17 points (7-13 FG) with five rebounds. Trevor Moore chipped in nine points off the bench. Jalen Gibbs paced The Mount with 18 points on 5-of-9 shooting and added five rebounds, three assists and two steals.
SCOUTING MOUNT ST. MARY'S
• Mount St. Mary's enters Saturday's contest coming off a 72-66 home overtime loss against American on Saturday (Dec. 11). The Eagles held the Mount without a field goal in the extra session to secure the win. Nana Opoku led four Mountaineers in double figures with 17 points.
• The Mount return four starters from last season's championship team that finished 12-11 overall and 9-7 in conference play.
• Jalen Benjamin (Raleigh, N.C.) is one of three players averaging double-figures for the Mount. Benjamin, a 5-10 junior guard from Raleigh (N.C.), leads the Mount by averaging 13.1 points and 4.1 assists. He's also shooting 39.7 percent from the field, 37 percent from 3-point territory and 89 percent from the free throw line. Redshirt senior 6-foot-9 forward Nana Opoku (Woodbridge, Va.) is averaging 10.9 points, 5.5 boards and 1.5 blocks -- Opoku is averaging 19.0 points over the past two games, hitting 18-of-20 (90.0 percent) from the field. 6-foot-8 senior Mezie Offrum (Georgetown, Md.) is averaging 10.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, while Malik Jefferson (6-9, senior, Virginia Beach, Va.) is chipping in 7.6 points and leads The Mount on the glass with 6.8 rebounds per contest.
• Mount St. Mary's was picked third in the annual Northeast Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. The Mount won the NEC Tournament last year to earn the team's third NCAA bid over the past eight seasons.
• The Mount are currently averaging 66.0 points thru its first 11 games and are shooting 42.4 percent from the field and 32.4 percent from downtown.
• The Mount has held opponents to 74 points per game and 47.9 percent shooting, including 36.6 percent from three.
• The Mount are currently 3-8 overall.
• Dan Englestad led the Mount back to the NCAA Tournament in his third season at the helm of the program last year. Named the 22nd head coach in Mount St. Mary's men's basketball program history on May 9, 2018, Engelstad led the Mount to road wins at Wagner and Bryant to secure the Mount's sixth NEC title. He guided the Mount to a 12-11 season overall and a 9-7 mark in the NEC in 2020-21.
OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
• The Bears are currently averaging 75.8 points (No. 2 in MEAC) thru 10 games.
• Morgan exploded for 118 points in its 2021-22 season opener versus St. Mary's College of Maryland and followed it up with a 126-71 win against Penn State Allegheny.
• The Bears are shooting 43.5 percent from the field (ranked No. 4) and 29.0 percent from beyond the arc (No. 6).
• Morgan led the MEAC in scoring by averaging 79.8 points thru 22 games of the 2020-21 season.
• They scored a season-high 102 in a home win vs. Lincoln-Pa. (Dec. 1, 2020).
• MSU also led the MEAC in offensive rebounding (39.7 avg).
BEAR D
Morgan has started off the 2021-22 campaign by allowing opponents to 75.2 points per game (rank No. 6 in MEAC) and 44.6 percent shooting from the field (No. 8).
• MSU's opponents have shot at a 39.4 percent clip on average from beyond the arc ... this ranks last in the conference.
• The 21.8 turnovers per game Morgan's defense forces ranks No. 2 in the country ... MSU's 10.8 steals per game ranks No. 6 in the nation.
THE CHARITY STRIPE
The Bears' returning team includes six players who shot 70 percent or better from the free throw line last season.
• Morgan has converted 65.5 percent (144-220; ranks No. 7 in MEAC) from the stripe thru 10 games.
• Lagio Grantsaan is currently shooting 68.3 percent (ranks No. 10 in MEAC) from the stripe to lead the Bears.
• Last season, Morgan shot 73.9 percent (369-499; ranked No. 1 in MEAC) from the stripe, led by De'Torrion Ware who shot 83.2 percent (84-101; ranked No. 5) and Malik Miller 71.6 percent (58-81; ranked No. 10).
ROAD NUMBERS
Morgan has a 14-14 record in in true road games under coach Kevin Broadus, including a 7-2 mark during the 2020-21 season.
• Morgan has gone 3-5 in neutral site contests since the 2019-20 season.
HOW TO WATCH GAMES: All men's and women's basketball home games will be video streamed for free through the MorganStateBears.com website. The latest broadcast and video stream information will always be listed on men's and women's basketball schedule pages at MorganStateBears.com.
MEN'S & WOMEN'S BASKETBALL RADIO: All home games and select away games for MSU men's and women's basketball will once again be available through Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com). Lamont Germany will handle play-by-play responsibilities and will also host pre-game and post-game shows. Including exclusive interviews with members of the teams and women's coach Ed Davis and men's coach Kevin Broadus. Fans can download the HSRN app for free and listen to the MSU broadcasts from anywhere. Simply search for HSRN when using the iHeartRadio app.
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 high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 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.
