Game 13
Morgan State (7-5) at Davidson (6-7)
Date: Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2022
Site: Davidson, N.C. (John M. Belk Arena)
Tip-off: 5 p.m. ET
Series Record: First Meeting
Audio: N/A
TV: N/A
Live Stream: ESPN+
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | Davidsonwildcats.com
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 24, 2022)-Morgan State will travel to Davidson, N.C. to take on the Wildcats of Davidson on Wednesday, Dec. 28 at John M. Belk Arena. The Lady Bears will look to close out its non-conference slate on a high note and end their season-long three-game slide, while Davidson looks to extend its winning streak to three straight. The Wildcats are also looking to secure the program's 500^th victory all-time with a win over the Lady Bears.
 
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.

BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (7-5), which is on a season-long three-game losing skid, is coming off a 77-46 loss at Kansas State (12/21). It was the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Charlene Shepherd totaled 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and two steals. Sunshine McCrae finished with 14 points, three rebounds and an assist.
  
A LOOK AT THE WILDCATS: Davidson (6-7) enters the game riding a two-game winning streak and has won four of its last five games. The Wildcats overcame a 12-point deficit to defeat Charlotte, 68-55 at home last Wednesday, in the inaugural 704 Cup game. It was the program's 499^th victory. Elle Sutphin scored a game-high 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, including 4-of-7 from three-point range and added a game-high 10 rebounds to record a double-double. Suzi-Rose Deegan (14 points, seven rebounds), Chloe Welch (11 points) and Maddie Plank (11 points) all reached double figures scoring for the Wildcats. Deegan and Welch each totaled a game-high three steals.

MSU VS. DAVIDSON SERIES NOTES: This will be the first meeting between the two programs.
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will begin the new year with Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play, when it welcomes North Carolina Central to Hill Field House on Saturday, Jan. 7, 2023. It will be the MEAC opener for both teams.

IT TAKES A THIEF: Through 11 games, Morgan State has forced 255 opponent turnovers, while recording 141 steals. The Lady Bears forced a season-high 29 turnovers twice against Washington Adventist (11/16) and Saint Peter's (11/18), while recording a season-high 19 steals against Washington Adventist. Ja'Niah Henson leads the Lady Bears with 33 steals, while Charlene Shepherd has 27. Emily Jones has 18 steals and Taylor Addison has 16 steals.
 
FOURTH QUARTER LOCKDOWN: Morgan State has held six of its first 12 opponents under 10 points in the fourth quarter, including an opponent low three points by Washington Adventist (11/16). In its win over rival Towson, Morgan State held the Tigers to 2-of-15 shooting in the fourth quarter to outscore them 18-4 in the fourth quarter. The Lady Bears have outscored their opponents, 197-135 in the fourth quarter, thus far. Only Notre Dame of Maryland (16 points), Stephen F. Austin (13 points), Boston College (14 points), Texas State (16 points) and have scored in double figures against Morgan in the fourth quarter.
 
SHEPHERD EARNS MEAC DEFENSIVE HONOR: Morgan State graduate forward Charlene Shepherd was named MEAC Defensive Player of the Week (12/13). The 6-foot-2 Killeen, Texas native grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds – 10 on the defensive end – and picked up two steals against Texas State (12/11). Shepherd also scored a game-high 17 points to record her second straight double-double and third of the season.
 
HAPPY BIRTHDAY COACH: Even though Morgan's game at Texas A&M (12-4) was canceled, Morgan State head coach Ed Davis celebrated a birthday. It was to be the third time since Davis took over the helm at Morgan State during the 2016-17 season that he would have coached on his birthday. Davis, who is 1-1 when coaching on his birthday, defeated Florida International at home, 62-51 on Dec. 4, 2017 and lost at Hofstra 51-39 on Dec. 4, 2019.
 
PROTECTING THE 'HOUSE': With its win over Saint Francis-Pa. (11/22), Morgan State improved to 6-0 on the season, extended its home winning streak to 12 straight and has now won 32 of its last 35 home games dating back to the 2018-19 campaign. The Lady Bears went 9-1 at Hill Field House during the 2021-22 season. During an abbreviated 2020-21 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.
 
MORGAN IN THE PUERTO RICO CLASICO: Over the Thanksgiving holiday break, the Lady Bears made their fifth appearance in the Puerto Rico Clasico event and the fourth trip to Puerto Rico. Morgan State would drop both of its contests against Stephen F. Austin (60-36) and Boston College (75-34). The Lady Bears, who fell to 0-9 all-time in the tournament, first competed in the event during the 2016-17 season and attended four straight years from 2016-20. The 2017 tournament was moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. due to the damage of Hurricane Maria.
 
LADY BEARS SET RECORD WITH 6-0 START: Morgan State's 6-0 mark to start the season set the program record for best season start. It surpassed the school's previous mark set by the 1983-84 team, which began the season 4-0.

HENSON NAMED MEAC CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior guard Ja'Niah Henson was named MEAC Co-Player of the Week (11/15) along with Norfolk State's Kierra Wheeler. Henson averaged 16 points per game to help Morgan to a 3-0 start. The Baltimore, Md. native, shot a combined 18-of-36 (.500) from the floor and was 9-for-18 (.500) from three-point range. Henson opened the season with 16 points, while knocking down 3-for-4 three-pointers, four steals and two assists against Shepherd, then scored a game-high 22 points with four made three-pointers, four assists, four rebounds and three steals in a comeback win against Loyola Maryland. The 5-foot-3 guard ended the week with 10 points, two rebounds, two assists and a steal against local foe Notre Dame (Md.).
 
BUTLER HAS BIG DAY: Freshman center Jael Butler had a career day in just the third game of her career as a Lady Bear. The 6-foot-2 native of Gilroy, Calif., scored a season-best 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting and added five rebounds, a steal and an assist in the win over Notre Dame of Maryland (11/14). 
 
BUMBRAY FROM THREE: Senior guard Maiya Bumbray came off the bench in the win over Notre Dame of Maryland and scored a career-high 12 points on a career-high four three-pointers made in 13 minutes of action against the Gators. 
 
THAT'S A FIRST: Last season the Lady Bears captured their first-ever MEAC regular season crown in program history, as they finished in a three-way tie with Howard and Norfolk State for a share of the MEAC crown. All three teams split the season series against one another going 1-1 and finished with identical 11-3 MEAC records. The team was honored during this Saturday's season finale football contest against Howard (11/19) and will be recognized again on Monday, Jan. 23 when both the women's and men's teams face Norfolk State.
 
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears improved to 13-33 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following their 78-39 victory over Shepherd in the season opener on Monday, Nov. 7. Morgan State at one point had lost 23 straight season openers prior to winning three straight from 2006-08.
  
MORGAN-LOYOLA MARYLAND RENEW SERIES: The Morgan State and Loyola women's basketball programs renewed their series last year on Dec. 8, 2021 after a 35-year hiatus. The Lady Bears would win on the road, 64-55. It was the first meeting between the two schools separated by 2.7 miles, since the 1985-86 season. The Lady Bears also claimed this season's contest, defeating the Greyhounds at home, 59-50 (11/10). Morgan State now leads the all-time series, 14-2.
 
2022-23 CAPTAINS ANNOUNCED: Morgan State graduate player Taylor Addison (Columbia, Md.) and senior Ja'Niah Henson (Baltimore, Md.) have been named this year's team captains for the 2022-23 campaign.
 
WELCOME HOME: A familiar face joined the Morgan State sideline this season with the addition of Tykyrah Williams as an assistant coach. Williams, who is no stranger to Morgan State, was a four-year letterwinner and three-year starter for the Lady Bears from 2014-18. Williams finished her career scoring 1,068 points and pulled down 589 rebounds to become the seventh player at Morgan State to record more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds. She ranks 13^th all-time in scoring, 10^th in rebounding and 12^th in steals on the Morgan State career charts.
   
MORGAN PICKED TO FINISH FOURTH IN MEAC: Morgan State was picked to finish fourth in the 2022-23 MEAC Preseason Poll. Last season the Lady Bears were picked to finish second for the second consecutive year and ended up finishing tied for first for the MEAC regular season crown with Howard and Norfolk State. It marked the program's first-ever MEAC regular season title.
 
2023 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2023 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 8-11, 2023 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.