SETTING THE STAGE
• The Morgan State men's basketball team will take the court on Saturday, Feb. 1st, at Hill Field House with their sights set on defending home territory against Maryland Eastern Shore. The Bears are riding high after an impressive performance against Coppin State that resulted in a win, extending their momentum to a three-game winning streak. Meanwhile, the Hawks are coming off a 73-66 loss to Delaware State (Jan. 25)  and will be looking to snap a 5-game losing streak. Tip-off set for 4 p.m. and fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action live on ESPN+.

• Saturday's contest is also Morgan's Coaches vs. Cancer game, and it's Community Day.

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• Redshirt senior guard Will Thomas scored a game-high 21 points to lead the Morgan State to a 80-64 victory against Coppin State on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House.

• KC Shaw led the Hawks with 21 points and the Hawks shot 36% from the floor, but it was not enough as Delaware State pulled away down the stretch for a 73-66 victory on Saturday at Hytche Center.

• 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 MARYLAND EASTERN SHORE
• Cleo Hill, Jr.,was named the head men's basketball coach at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore in June of 2024. A veteran coach, Hill comes to UMES with 17 seasons of head coaching experience along with a variety of assistant coaching roles and an impressive collegiate playing career at North Carolina Central University. Hill spent the previous six seasons as the head coach of the Rams at Winston-Salem State University. Last season, Hill led the Rams to a 19-9 overall record along with a perfect 6-0 record in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association Northern Division. With the top record in the CIAA, the Rams were ranked in the D2CSC Atlantic Poll eight times.

• Maryland Eastern Shore was picked to finish seventh in the league. UMES finished seventh in the conference last season with a 9-20 record and went 4-10 in conference play.

• Junior 6-5 guard Ketron "KC" Shaw (Charlotte, N.C.) and 6-foot guard Evan Johnson (Durham, N.C.) currently lead the Hawks in scoring. Shaw, a transfer from Winston-Salem State, is averaging 18.6 points (No. 3 in MEAC), 6.1 rebounds, and is shooting 45% from the field and 26% from the three. Johnson, a transfer from Georgia State, is averaging 12.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and is shooting 44 percent from the field. Junior 6-8 forward Christopher Flippin (Metarie, La.) is averaging 11.1 points, 5.5 rebounds and is shooting 59% from the field.

•  January 25, 2025 - Hawks were up by nine midway through the second half before fading away down the stretch in a 73-66 loss to Delaware State last Saturday. KC Shaw made 10-of-12 free throws and led the Hawks with 20 points. Before exiting the game with 15 minutes to play, Chris Flippin had 12 points for UMES in limited action. UMES was outscored 18-9 in second chance points.

UMES by the Numbers
• 68.5: CSU currently ranks No. 7 in the MEAC in scoring.

• 18.5: The Hawks have been led by Ketron "KC" Shaw who ranks No. 3 in the MEAC in scoring.

• 3.1:  Shaw also leads UMES in assists (ranks No. 8 in the MEAC).

• 80.4: On average UMES is giving up 80 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 7).

• .316: The Hawks rank No. 7 in the MEAC in 3-point field goal percentage.

• .430: UMES ranks No. 7 in the MEAC in field goal percentage.

• .656: UMES ranks last in the MEAC in free throw shooting.

• 4.9: UMES ranks No. 8 in the MEAC in steals.

THE SERIES VS. THE HAWKS|
• MSU leads the series 58-42

• The teams split both meetings last season with with each squad successfully defending its home court.

• Morgan State won the last meeting between the teams on February 17, 2024 --  Wynston Tabbs scored 14 points to lead the Bears to a 70-65 win over Maryland Eastern Shore on Feb. 17th at Hill Field House. The Bears have jumped up the MEAC ladder to 2nd place and are riding a three-game winning streak. Kameron Hobbs scored 11 points and connected on 6-of-6 free throws with seven rebounds and five assists in 31 minutes. Amahrie Simpkins finished with nine boards and seven points.

• Maryland Eastern Shore's last win against Morgan was on January 6, 2024 --  Morgan blew a late lead and fell to Maryland Eastern Shore by a score of 75-74 at the Hytche Athletic Center. Troy Hupstead paced the Hawks with 14 points (5-14 FG) and finished with a game-high 13 rebounds. Wynston Tabbs led the Bears with a game-high 20 points and connected on 4-of-7 3-pointers. Kameron Hobbs added 16 points (4-5 3FG) and had four rebounds, two assists and a block in 30 minutes. Malang Athian scored on a tip-in to trim the lead to 74-73 and Hupstead grabbed an offensive board and was fouled on a putback with 2 seconds left to go with a chance to take the lead from the stripe…he hit both free throws.

LAST TIME OUT 
BALTIMORE, MD. - Will Thomas scored a game-high 21 points to lead Morgan State to a 80-64 win against crosstown rival Coppin State on Saturday afternoon before a packed crowd at Hill Field House.

• Thomas shot 8-for-15 from the field, including 4-for-4 from the charity stripe and had five rebounds in 32 minutes.

• Kameron Hobbs scored 20 points (7-17 FG) with three boards and three assists in 33 minutes. Amahrie Simpkins added 15 points in the first half, while Daniel Akitoby notched 10 rebounds with six points and two blocked shots.

• Morgan State shot 43 percent (29-66) from the field, including 35 percent (7-20) from 3-point territory. The Eagles shot  37 percent (23-62) from the floor and was 4-for-22 from behind the arc.

• Morgan shot 15-for-21 (71%) from the free throw line, compared to Coppin's 52 percent (14-27).

• The Bears held a 46-42 advantage on the boards, and outscored the Eagles 40-38 inside the paint. 

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 82.0 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 49.5 percent from the field and No. 2 shooting 36 percent from beyond the arc.

• Kameron Hobbs (15 ppg; No. 8 in MEAC) 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.

SO 'KAMTASTIC'! 
• Kameron Hobbs has been on a scoring tear lately. The Stockbridge, Georgia product has scored at least 20 points in the last 8-consecutive games.  

• It's also the longest streak of at least that long since Tiwian Kendley accomplished the feat during the 2017-18 season...Kendley had 9-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, had a game-high 24 points at Howard, followed by 23 points versus Norfolk State and 20 against Coppin State.

• Additionally, he has scored in double-figures 15 times, including his last 10 games. 
 

CATCH US IF YOU CAN
• One of the best transition teams in the nation is Morgan State. 

• The Bears rank No. 8 in the NCAA based on their efficiency in scoring off fast breaks.

• Averaging an impressive 16.9 points per game from fastbreaks, they capitalize on opponents' mistakes and turn defensive plays into offensive opportunities. 

STAY ON TARGET
• Morgan is shooting .495 (654-1322) from the floor and shot 50 percent-or-better eight times (6-2 record), including a season-high .667 (36-54) on Dec. 15 versus Campbell. 

• Last season, the Bears shot .451 (840-1862) and shot 50 percent-or-better 6 times (5-1 record), including a season-high .635 (54-85) on Dec. 9, 2024 vs. Virginia Lynchburg.

THOMAS SECURES 1000TH CAREER POINT
• Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas needed just 8 points to reach 1,000 career points when the Bears faced Norfolk State on Jan. 13 at Hill Field House…he finished with 12 points and hit the milestone. 

• The Baltimore product has scored 292 points so far this season to move his career total to 1,025 points.

• Thomas currently ranks No. 28 on the school's all-time scoring list and is 8 points away from passing Tiwian Kendley for No. 27 (1,032 pts; 2016-18).

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 
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• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
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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.