Game 27 (MEAC Contest)
Morgan State (16-10, 9-4 MEAC) vs. Coppin State (8-20, 5-8 MEAC)
Date: Thursday, March 2, 2023
Site: Baltimore, Md. (Hill Field House)
Time: 5:30 p.m.
Series Record: Morgan leads, 46-43
Audio: HSRN.com
TV: N/A
Live Stream: Here
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | coppinstatesports.com
 
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Feb. 26, 2023)--Morgan State will close out the regular season tonight against Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and crosstown rival Coppin State on Senior Night. Fans are encouraged to arrive early, as seating is limited. Doors will open at 4:30 p.m. and senior night festivities will get underway at 5:20 p.m. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 
Thursday's contest will be the 90th meeting between the two Baltimore rivals with Morgan State holding a 46-43 all-time series lead. The Lady Bears won Round 1 of the Battle of Baltimore, following a 61-46 victory at Coppin State (1/14).
 
The Lady Bears, winners of 11 of the last 12 meetings against Coppin State, had won nine straight over the Eagles prior to last year's MEAC opening loss at home.
 
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 the 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 (16-10, 9-4 MEAC) enters the contest riding a four-game losing streak, following a 73-70 loss at Maryland Eastern Shore (2/27)...Charlene Shepherd and Gabrielle Johnson each scored a game-high 21 points in the defeat. Johnson, who would earn MEAC Rookie of the Week honors for her performance, shot 6-for-8, including 1-for-2 from three-point range and connected on 8-for-9 from the free throw line to tie her career-high 21 points. Ja'Niah Henson finished with 14 points and Taylor Addison pulled down a team-high seven rebounds to go with nine points.  
 
BIRD SEED: Coppin State (8-20, 5-8 MEAC) enters the game coming off a 34-32 victory at Delaware State on Monday. Cortney Gardner stolen the inbounds pass and scored on a breakaway layup with 1.8 seconds remaining to give the Eagles the win. Jewel Watkins scored a game-high 14 points and grabbed seven boards for Coppin State. Colleen Bucknor pulled down a team-high 10 rebounds and had a game-high four blocks, as the Eagles won despite being held to just two points in the first quarter and four points in the fourth.
 
MSU VS. CSU SERIES NOTES: Morgan State and Coppin State will meet for the 90th time tonight in the annual 'East vs. West' game. The Lady Bears lead the all-time series, 46-43 after claiming a 661-46 victory on the Eagles' floor (1/14) . Morgan State winners of 11 of the last 12 regular season contests over the rival Eagles, had won nine straight, prior to Coppin State winning last season's first meeting, 67-65 in the MEAC opener at Hill Field House (1/15/22).
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will turn its attention to next week's MEAC Tournament held March 8-11 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.
 
PROTECTING THE 'HOUSE': Morgan State suffered its first home loss of the season when it fell to rival Howard (2/20), 64-56. The loss dropped the Lady Bears to 10-1 at Hill Field House and ended their 16-game home winning streak. The Lady Bears then dropped a 55-54 decision at home to Delaware State (2/25). Morgan State has won 36 of its last 41 home games dating back to the 2018-19 campaign. The 10 wins ties the program record for most home wins in a season with both the 2017-18 and 2019-20 teams. 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.
 
THE RIVALRY CONTINUES: Morgan State took Round 1 against rival Coppin State, 61-46 on Saturday, Jan. 14 in the 89^th meeting of the annual 'East vs. West' season series. Also known as the 'Battle of Baltimore' or simply 'Coppin-Morgan', this season marks the third consecutive season that Morgan State and Coppin State will close out the regular season playing against each other in the season finale, scheduled for Thursday, March 2 at 5:30 p.m. at Hill Field House.
 
JOHNSON NAMED MEAC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Gabrielle Johnson was named MEAC Rookie of the Week (2/28). It was her first weekly honor this season. Johnson averaged 13 points, six assists, three rebounds and two steals a game, while shooting 50% (8-for-16) from the floor for the week. The Baltimore native tied a career-high 12 points on 6-fo-8 shooting against Maryland Eastern Shore to go with five assists, three rebounds and two steals. She dished out a career-best seven assists and had two steals against Delaware State.

CHASING HISTORY: Morgan State (16-10) is three wins shy of tying the program record for wins in a season on the Division I level at 19, set by the 2007-08 team, which went 19-12.
 
SAYING GOODBYE: Morgan State will say goodbye to five players prior to its home and regular season finale 'Senior Night' game against crosstown rival Coppin State (2/5). Graduate player Taylor Addison and seniors Maiya Bumbray, Vanessa Oduah, Sunshine McCrae and Ja'Niah Henson will all be honored prior to tipoff.

MSU SECURES NON-CONFERENCE WINNING RECORD AGAIN: Despite closing out the 2022 portion of the schedule on a season-long four-game losing skid, the Lady Bears secured their third consecutive winning record against non-conference opponents, following its win at rival Towson (11/30). Last season Morgan State finished 6-4 in non-conference play and went 3-1 during the 2020-21 campaign, which was shortened due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
  
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.
   
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.
 
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.