Game 11
Opponent: Cheney Wolves (2-7)
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Time: Wednesday – 6:00 p.m.
Broadcast: HSRN (HSRN.com)
Live Stats: www.morganstatebears.com
Series: MSU leads 1-0
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (72-81, 6th yr) | CU - Jordan Bushrod (2-7, 1st yr)
Websites:Â www.MorganStateBears.com | www.cheneyathletics.com
Â
SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team will face the Cheney University of Pennsylvania Wolves on Wednesday (Dec. 4) at 6 p.m. (EST) inside Hill Field House. The game will be broadcast by the Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com).Â
• Wynston Tabbs leads the Bears by averaging 17.5 points on 48 shooting from the field and 97 percent shooting from the free throw line. He is also adding 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals in 27.0 minutes. Amahrie Simpkins is also averaging double-figures for the Bears with 13.3 points to go along with 5.5 rebounds and 1.5 steals.
• Graduate student Wynston Tabbs and redshirt senior forward Will Thomas were named to the preseason All-MEAC first team. In addition, redshirt senior Kameron Hobbs has been named to the preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Tabbs started in 19 of 24 games and earned All-MEAC Second Team honors. He averaged 14.8 points and finished the regular season ranked No. 6 in the MEAC in scoring, including a career-high 38 points versus UMBC on Dec. 26. Thomas started in 24 of 30 games and finished the 2023-24 season as an All-MEAC Second Team selection. He averaged 14.0 points a game with a nearly absurd shooting efficiency as he's converted 47 percent from the field (ranked No. 2). Hobbs had an impressive season, starting in 27 of the 31 games he played and showcasing his skills on the court for an average of 31.0 minutes per game. His scoring ability was evident as he averaged 10.1 points per game, while his 35 percent from beyond the arc (47-133).Â
• MSU returns veteran guards Rob Lawson (8.9 ppg), and Amahrie Simpkins (8.7 ppg) from the starting lineup and added several newcomers including guard Pierce Shirk from Georgia Southern, guard forward Jayden Socka from Prince George's C.C., forward Marland Harris from West Los Angeles College, and forward Logan Schayes from Beacon College via the transfer portal.Â
• Morgan's roster includes one freshman, four sophomores, seven juniors, four seniors and a graduate student.
SCOUTING CHENEY
• Cheney University of Pennsylvania, a Division II member, is led by head coach Jordan Bushrod who enters his first season as the Wolves' head basketball coach. The Wolves suffered an 8067 loss at the University of the District of Columbia on Nov. 20. Â
• Cheney has a 2-7 overall record and have dropped their last six games.
• The Wolves enter Wednesday's contest averaging 63.0 points per game on 35 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from behind the arc. Cheney is averaging 10.0 assists and 7.3 steals per game.
• Junior guard Joshua Blackmon (Clinton, Md. / Fairmont Heights HS) leads the Wolves' squad averaging a team-high 17.0 points per game and is shooting 46 percent from the field and 53 percent from beyond the arc. Blackmon scored a season-high 30 points on 9-for-18 shooting against Bowie State on Nov. 13th.
• Freshman guard Jalen Long(Camden, N.J.) is averaging 16.0 points and is shooting 44 percent from the field.
THE SERIES VS. CHENEY
• MSU leads the series 1-0.
• November 9, 2023 — Myles Thompson had 19 points and five rebounds off the bench and the Bears scored 48 in the paint in a 100-52 win over Cheyney on Thursday night. hompson, a redshirt-senior transfer from Saint Francis (Pa.), finished with a game-high 19 points and five rebounds to lead five Bears in double-figures. Wynston Tabbs scored 17 points (5-10 FT) with five boards, five assists and two blocks in 21 minutes. Full recap here.
• Last year's win counted in the boxscore for the Bears, while the game was recorded as an exhibition for the Wolves.
LASTÂ TIME OUT FOR THE BEARS
BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 1, 2024) - Wynston Tabbs had a team-high 27 points and Rob Lawson added 20 to help Morgan defeat Central Pennsylvania 123-70 to snap the Bears 4-game losing streak on Sunday afternoon at Hill Field House.
• Lawson matched a career-high with 20 points (6-8 FG) off the bench with five assists and four rebounds.Â
• Will Thomas scored 19 points with six assists, while Daniel Akitoby recorded a double-double with 18 points and a game-high 16 boards. Kameron Hobbs had 16 points with seven assists, four rebounds and four steals.
THE SCHEDULE
• Morgan State opens the season at home Nov. 4 against Division II Frostburg State, with Division I newcomer Mercyhurst visiting Hill Field House two days later. The Bears will play seven of their first 11 games at home, including a Nov. 24 date with local rival Towson.
• December brings trips to three power conference opponents: Xavier (Dec. 10), Iowa State (Dec. 22) and Minnesota (Dec. 29). The Bears open MEAC play Jan. 4 at home against South Carolina State and will play their last home game March 3 against Delaware State.
• The regular-season finale is three days later at Coppin State, followed the next week by the MEAC tournament in Norfolk, Va.
HOME COOKINGÂ
• Morgan completed the 2023-24 regular season 8-5 at home.
• The Bears have won 4 of their last 5 home games since a March 4th win against North Carolina Central.
• Morgan completed the 2022-23 season with an 10-2 mark inside Hill Field House.
• The last time the Bears lost at home was against Mercyhurst (78-73) on Nov. 6 ... their previous loss was on March 2, 2024 against South Carolina State (72-61).
FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACEÂ
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.Â
• Follow us on social media:
 Facebook: /MorganStateBears
 Twitter: @MorganStBears
 Instagram: /MorganStateBears
Blue Sky:Â @MorganStBears
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.
Â
