Game 11
Morgan State (6-4, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Coppin State (6-7, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: Saturday, Jan. 15, 2022
Site: Baltimore, Md. (Hill Field House)
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Series Record: Morgan leads, 44-42
T/V: N/A
Audio: HSRN.com
Live Stream: Here
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | Coppinstatesports.com
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 14, 2022)-After having its last four contests either cancelled or postponed due to Covid protocols, the Morgan State women's basketball team will finally end a 38-day hiatus, as it begins 2022 hosting crosstown rival Coppin State in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) opener this Saturday, Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at Hill Field House. The contest will mark the 87^th meeting between the two schools with Morgan State holding a 44-42 advantage.
 
BEAR CLAWS: Winners of a season-best six straight, the Lady Bears (6-4, 0-0 MEAC) look to continue their winning ways, as they open the 2022 slate welcoming crosstown rival Coppin State in the MEAC opener. Morgan State, which had its best month of December in program history, went 3-0 during the month. Dating back to 2003, the three wins tie for the most victories in December matching the 2006 and 2017 teams, which each went 3-3 in the month. MSU has been off since a 64-55 victory at Loyola Maryland (12/8). The team's next four contests would be cancelled or postponed due to COVID issues and protocols. In the win over Loyola, Dahnye Redd scored a team-high 15 points, Ashia McCalla added 14 and Charlene Shepherd came off the bench to add 10 points and a game-high six rebounds.
 
BIRD SEEDS: Coppin State (6-7, 0-0 MEAC) enters the contest riding a two-game losing streak. The Eagles haven't played since December 29 when they suffered a 90-50 loss at Richmond. Aliyah Lawson led Coppin with 11 points, had a team-high three assists and added six rebounds. Mossi Staples finished with 10 points, two steals, two assists and three rebounds. Jewel Watkins came off the bench and pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds to go with six points, two blocks and two steals.  
 
MSU VS. CSU SERIES NOTES: Morgan State and Coppin State will meet for the 87^th time this weekend in the annual "East vs. West" game. The Lady Bears lead the all-time series, 44-42. Morgan State has won nine straight regular season contests and 10 of the last 11 games over the rival Eagles, following last season's four-game series sweep.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will be off until next Saturday, Jan. 22, when the Lady Bears host Beltway rival Howard in a MEAC contest at 2 p.m., before traveling to Norfolk, Va. to face Norfolk State in a MEAC game on Monday, Jan. 24 at 5:30 p.m.
 
THE RIVALRY CONTINUES: Morgan State and Coppin State will resume their rivalry this Saturday in the 87^th meeting of the annual "East vs. West" season series. Also known as the "Battle of Baltimore" and simply "Coppin-Morgan", both teams had their previous two scheduled MEAC contests postponed due to Covid protocols within their opponents' programs. Thus, Saturday's contest will mark the first time the Lady Bears and Eagles will meet in the MEAC opener, since Dec. 3, 2012 at Hill Field House.
 
PROTECTING THE 'HOUSE': Morgan State has picked up right where it left off the season before, by defending is home floor and earning three home wins in as many tries to begin the 2021-22 home slate. With the wins, Morgan State has now won 20 of its last 22 home games dating back to the 2018-19 season finale. During last year's abbreviated season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MSU went 6-1 at Hill Field House. The season before that the Lady Bears concluded the 2019-20 campaign with a 10-1 home record, which was the program's best home court mark since the 2017-18 team finished 10-3.
 
38-DAY LAYOFF: Morgan State is coming off its longest in season hiatus between games in program history. It's been 38 days since the Lady Bears last played a game – a 64-55 victory at Loyola Maryland (12/8). Since that time, Morgan has had four games that were canceled or postponed due to Covid protocols either in the MSU or its opponent's program.

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.
 
MSU SECURES NON-CONFERENCE WINNING RECORD: Morgan State secured its second straight non-conference winning record (6-4), following a 64-55 victory at Loyola Maryland (12/8). The Lady Bears' final two originally scheduled games at Kentucky (12/17) and against Penn (12/30) were both cancelled due to Covid protocols. Last season Morgan State finished 3-1 in non-conference competition, to earn its first winning record against non-conference opponents since the 2017-18 campaign (7-6).
 
TURNING UP THE PRESSURE: To date, Morgan State has forced 256 opponent turnovers, while collecting a league-leading 140 steals (14.0) per game. Morgan State forced an opponent season-high 40 turnovers out of Washington Adventist (11/24) and turned those turnovers into 40 points. 30 of the turnovers were by way of steals with Adia Brisker and Jayla Atmore leading the way with five steals apiece. The 40 turnovers surpassed the previous season high of 36 by Notre Dame of Maryland (11/19). The Lady Bears scored a season-high 48 points off Notre Dame. 
 
POSTPONMENTS: Morgan State had its MEAC opener in Durham, N.C. against North Carolina Central (1/8) postponed due to Covid protocols within the Eagles' program. No makeup date has been announced. The Lady Bears' contest at South Carolina State (1/10) was also postponed because of Covid protocols in the Bulldogs' program. That game is slated to be made up on Sunday, Feb. 5 in Orangeburg, S.C.
 
TAKE SIX: Morgan State upped its season-long winning streak to six games, following a 64-55 victory at Loyola Maryland (12/8). The win also gave the Lady Bears a 3-0 start in December, a month which since 2003, Morgan State has not won more than three games in.
 
A DECEMBER TO REMEMBER: Morgan State, which is having its best month of December in program history, enters the contest 3-0 in the month. Dating back to 2003, the three wins tie for the most victories in December matching the 2006 and 2017 teams, which each went 3-3 in the month. MSU has been off since a 64-55 victory at Loyola Maryland (12/8). The team's road game at Kentucky (12/17) was postponed due to COVID issues within the Morgan program. In the win over Loyola, Dahnye Redd scored a team-high 15 points, Ashia McCalla added 14 and Charlene Shepherd came off the bench to add 10 points and a game-high six rebounds

MORGAN-LOYOLA MARYLAND RENEW SERIES: The Morgan State and Loyola women's basketball programs renewed its series on Dec. 8 after a 35-year hiatus. The Lady Bears would win 64-55. It was the first meeting between the two schools separated by 2.7 miles, since the 1985-86 season. Morgan State now leads the all-time series, 12-2.
 
2022 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2021 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 9-12, 2022 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 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.