Game 12
Opponent: Bowling Green Falcons (3-5)
Date:Â Saturday, December 7, 2024
Site:Â Stroh Center, Bowling Green, Ohio
Time:Â 2:00 p.m.
Broadcast:Â ESPN+
Live Stats:Â www.bgsufalcons.com
Series:Â BGSU leads 2-0
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (73-81, 6th yr) | BGSU - Todd Simon (23-19, 2nd yr)
Websites:Â www.MorganStateBears.com | www.bgsufalcons.com
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SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University men's basketball team will face the Bowling Green Falcons on Saturday (Dec. 7) at 2 p.m. (EST) inside Stroh Center. The game will be streamed live on ESPN+.
• 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 12.9 points to go along with 5.0 rebounds and 1.4 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 BOWLING GREEN
• Bowling Green, a member of the Mid-American Conference (MAC), is led by head coach Todd Simon who enters his second season as the Falcons' head basketball coach. The Falcons are coming off a hard-fought 61-60 win at New Mexico State on Nov. 30 to finish off the Arizona Tip Off. An and-one by Marcus Johnson (23 pts) pulled BGSU within one. Javonte Campbell (12 pts, 8 rebs) added two more at the line to swing the score in the Falcons' favor. The victory marked Todd Simon's 150th win as a collegiate head coach.
• BGSU has a 3-5 overall record and have a 2-1 home record.
• The Falcons enter Saturday's contest averaging 75.9 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from behind the arc.  BGSU is averaging 12.1 assists and 7.8 steals per game.
• Senior 6-foot-7 forward Marcus Johnson (Akron, Ohio / State. Vincent-St. Mary) leads the Falcons' squad averaging a team-high 17.4 points per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc, including 4.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists. Johnson transferred from Wheeling where he ranked 14th in the nation for points per game in the Division II ranks by averaging 21.6 points per game (2023-24).
• Junior guard Javontae Campbell (Muskogee, Oklahoma. / Muskogee) is averaging 15.1 points and is shooting 53 percent from the field and 36 percent from the three. Senior guard Derrick Butler (Charlotte, N.C. / Quality Education Academy) is adding 12.5 points, 3.4 boards and 1.1 steals.
• The Falcons rank No. 1 in the MAC (.806 - No. 9 in NCAA) in free throw percentage.
THE SERIES VS. BGSU
• BGSU leads the series 2-0.
• December 3, 2022 — Senior guard Malik Miller scored a game-high 24 points with 14 rebounds as Morgan State connected on 10 3-pointers, however, Bowling Green rallied for an 86-76 win, in non-conference action at the Stroh Center. Senior guard Isaiah Burke added 22 points (4-10 3FG) with three assists in 35 minutes. Full recap here.
• November 26, 2016 -- Matt Fox made four 3-pointers and scored 18 points, Dylan Frye added three 3s and 15 points, and Bowling Green beat Morgan State 90-58. Demajeo Wiggins had 12 points and five rebounds, and Zack Denny added 11 points, seven rebounds and eight steals, which tied the school record, for Bowling Green (2-4). Junior guard Tiwian Kendley, the MEAC's leading scorer, had 22 points and six rebounds for Morgan State (2-4). Junior forward Phillip Carr added 13 points and nine rebounds. Full recap here.
LASTÂ TIME OUT FOR THE BEARS
BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 5, 2024) - Senior forward Will Thomas poured in a career-high 32 points to help Morgan defeat Cheney University of Pennsylvania 124-57 on Wednesday night at Hill Field House.
• Junior guard Rob Lawson matched a career-high with 18 points (4-5 3FG) off the bench with six assists in 21 minutes. Â
• Daniel Akitoby recorded a double-double with 11 points and a game-high 10 rebounds.  Marland Harris added 10 points (3-3 FG) with four rebounds and two blocks.
• The Bears outscored the Cheney in the paint by a 64-22 margin.
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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.
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OFFENSIVE OUTPUT
Offensively, the Bears are setting the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an impressive average of 84.6 points per game, leading the conference in scoring.
• Morgan exploded for a season-high 124 points versus Cheney University 0f Pennsylvania (Dec. 4) and had 123 points vs. Central Penn (Dec. 1).
• The Bears currently rank No. 1 in the MEAC shooting 51.6 percent from the field and No. 4 shooting 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.
• Wynston Tabbs (17.5 ppg; No. 3) is leading the team.
• Morgan finished the 2023-24 regular season ranked No. 4 in scoring in the MEAC by averaging 72.7 points thru 31 games.
• The Bears averaged 74.9 points (No. 4 in MEAC) thru 31 games during the 2022-23 season.
BEARING DOWN
• Defensively, Morgan opponents are averaging 74.7 points per game on 42.5 percent shooting from the floor and 32 percent from 3-point range, allowing 6.9 long distance strikes per night.
• Morgan leads the conference in rebounding margin and has outrebounded opponents by a 6.1 margin as they have secured 432 total boards (39.3 rebs/g) compared to 365 total rebounds (33.2 rebs/g) by opponents.
• Morgan's defense currently ranks No. 34 in the country in turnovers forced (175 turnovers; 15.9 avg.); the Bears also rank No. 46 in steals per game with 101 steals (9.2).
• Last season, Morgan limited its opponents to scoring 77.5 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting from the floor and 34.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing 6.8 long distance strikes per night.
CHASING ROAD GLORYÂ
• Morgan is in search of its first road win of the season and are currently 0-4 on the road.
• Morgan's last road win was February 5, 2024 in a 79-72 victory against North Carolina Central.
• The Bears' last non-conference road win was on December 30, 2022 when they pulled out a 61-54 win at the University of Hartford.
HOME COOKINGÂ
• Morgan is currently holds a 5-2 home record this season.
• The Bears have won 5 of their last 6 home games since a March 4th win against North Carolina Central.
• The last time the Bears lost at home was against Mercyhurst (78-73) on Nov. 6, 2024 ... their previous loss was on March 2, 2024 against South Carolina State (72-61).
• Morgan completed the 2023-24 regular season 8-5 at home.
• Morgan finished the 2022-23 season with an 10-2 mark inside Hill Field House.
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.
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