SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State University Bears men's basketball team is gearing up for an important matchup against the Norfolk State Spartans on Monday, January 13th, at Hill Field House. The Bears are eager to secure a much-needed victory that could bolster their momentum for the remainder of the season, while the Spartans will attempt to remain undefeated in league play. Tip-off set for 7:30 p.m. and fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action live on ESPN+.

• The Bears had four players in double-figures. Kameron Hobbs and Will Thomas recorded 24 points apiece, however the Howard held on for a 100-95 victory on Saturday at Burr Gymnasium. 

• Norfolk State guard Christian Ings scored 21 points to lead the Spartans to a 92-69 blowout win over Coppin State on Saturday inside Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall.

• 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). 

• 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. 
 

SCOUTING NORFOLK STATE
• Head coach Robert Jones is in his 12th season leading the Norfolk State men's basketball program in 2024-25 and his 18th year overall with the Spartans. Over the course of his decorated career, Jones has racked up over 200 wins, secured two MEAC Tournament titles, and received three MEAC Coach of the Year awards.

• Coach Jones led Norfolk State to its first nonconference postseason championship in the program's Division I history in 2024, defeating Purdue Fort-Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) title game. Christian Ings earned MVP honors for the event, helping the Spartans erase an 18-point deficit in the championship showdown.

• The Spartans were picked to finish second in the MEAC Preseason Poll, finished the regular season with a 22-11 overall record (11-3 MEAC) and lost to Howard in  the conference tournament championship. Norfolk State graduate guard Christian Ings and sophomore forward Chris Fields Jr. landed on the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team, while senior guards Jaylani Darden and Sin'Cere McMahon earned preseason All-MEAC Third Team honors.

• Brian Moore Jr. (Harlem, N.Y.), Christian Ings (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Jalen Myers (Huntsville, Ala.) currently lead the Spartans in scoring. Moore is averaging 18.7 points (No. 2 in MEAC), 3.8 rebounds and is shooting a league-best 56% from the field (No. 2) and 83% from the free throw line (No. 4). Ings, a graduate guard, is averaging 13.1 points (No. 13), 1.9 rebounds and is shooting 53 percent from the field and 58 percent from three. Myers, a 6-foot-8 forward, is chipping in 10.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and is shooting 54 percent from the field.

•  Norfolk State guard Christian Ings returned from the flu on Saturday, scoring 21 points to lead the Spartans to a 92-69 blowout win over Coppin State. Brian Moore Jr. added 19 points for Norfolk State (12-7, 3-0 MEAC) on a 7-of-7 shooting day, while Jalen Myers tallied 18 points and eight rebounds. NSU shot 61.8 percent from the floor against the Eagles (2-15, 1-2), the team's most efficient offensive performance of the season.

NSU by the Numbers
• 75.4: NSU currently ranks No. 5 in the MEAC in scoring.

• 18.7: The Spartans have been led by Brian Moore Jr. who ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in scoring.

• 3.7:  Christian Ings leads NSU in assists (ranks No. 4 in the MEAC).

• 68.2: On average NSU is giving up just under 70 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 1).

• .351: Howard ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage.

THE SERIES VS. THE SPARTANS
• NSU leads the series 48-18, winning nine of the last 11 meetings between the schools.  

• Norfolk State won the last meeting between the teams on February 26, 2024 -- Jamarii Thomas had a game-high 20 points to help Norfolk State hold on for an 85-82 victory over Morgan State in front of a packed crowd at Hill Field House. Christian Ings added a season-high 17 points while going 4 of 7 from the floor, including 2 for 3 from 3-point range, and 7 for 7 from the line. Rob Lawson finished with a career-high 20 points in 27 minutes off the bench to lead five Bears in double-figures.

• Morgan's last win against Norfolk State was on January 23, 2023 -- Redshirt sophomore forward Will Thomas poured in a game and career-high 27 points and senior guard Isaiah Burke added 21 points to help lead Morgan to a 77-71 conference win against Norfolk State on ESPNU in front of an energized crowd at Hill Field House. Thomas, who entered the game averaging 7.4 points and 3.1 rebounds, was inserted to the starting lineup in place of Malik Miller who was out due to injury. 

LAST TIME OUT 
WASHINGTON, D.C. (Jan. 11, 2025) - Marcus Dockery and Blake Harper combined for 48 points to lead the Howard Bison men's basketball team to an 100-95 victory against Beltway rival Morgan State on Saturday afternoon at Burr Gymnasium. 

• Dockery connected on 9-of-15 from the field, including 3-for-5 from three-point territory   and added four rebounds and three assists in 39 minutes.

• Howard's freshman standout Blake Harper filled the statsheet with 23 points (7-12 FG), seven rebounds and six assists in 31 minutes. Anwar Gill added 14 points and six assists in 38 minutes.

• The Bears had four players in double-figures. Kameron Hobbs and Will Thomas recorded 24 points apiece. Hobbs was 4-for-9 from beyond the arc and Thomas shot 40 percent (8-20 FG) from the floor and grabbed five boards, three assists and three 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.

OFFENSIVE BEHAVIOR
Offensively, the Bears are setting the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an average of 82.4 points per game, ranked No. 1 in the conference in scoring.

• Morgan exploded for a season-high 124 points versus Cheney University of Pennsylvania (Dec. 4), had 123 points vs. Central Penn (Dec. 1) and 102 vs. NCCU (Jan.7).

• The Bears currently rank No. 1 in the MEAC shooting 49.7 percent from the field and No. 2 shooting 35.4 percent from beyond the arc.

• Wynston Tabbs (15.1 ppg) 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.

TRIPLE H;  HOBBS' HOT HAND 
• Kameron Hobbs has been on a scoring tear lately. The Stockbridge, Georgia product has scored at least 20 points in the last 6-consecutive games.  

• It's also the longest streak of at least that long since Isaiah Burke accomplished the feat during the 2022-23 season...Burke had 6-consecutive games with 20 or more points. 

• He had 21 points against Campbell, uncorked 23 points at #3 Iowa State, posted a career-high 25 points against Minnesota, had a game-high 22 points against South Carolina State, exploded for 40 points in a 2OT victory against N.C. Central, and had a game-high 24 points at Howard.

• Additionally, he has scored in double-figures 13 times, including his last eight games. 
 

CATCH US IF YOU CAN
• One of the best transition teams in the nation is Morgan State. 
• The Bears rank No. 10 in the NCAA based on their efficiency in scoring off fast breaks.
• Averaging an impressive 17 points per game from fastbreaks, they capitalize on opponents' mistakes and turn defensive plays into offensive opportunities. 


JANUARY OPPONENTS
• Morgan State will play four of five games this month inside Hill Field House, the most during a single month this season. 

• Earlier this season, the Bears went 3-5 against teams in November, and 3-4 in December.
 

THOMAS EYES MILESTONE MOMENT
• Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas has his sights set on a grand as he rapidly approaches his 1,000th career point. 

• The Baltimore product has scored 259 points so far this season to move his career total to 992, needing just 8 points to reach the benchmark.

• Thomas currently ranks No. 31 on the school's all-time scoring list and is 20 points away from passing Joseph McLean for No. 30 (1,011 pts).

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 
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. 
• Follow us on social media:
 Facebook: /MorganStateBears
 Twitter: @MorganStBears
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Blue Sky: @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.