Game 17 (MEAC Contest)
Morgan State (8-8, 1-0 MEAC) vs. North Carolina Central (2-13, 0-1 MEAC)
Date: Monday, Jan. 6, 2025
Site: Baltimore, Md. (Hill Field House)
Tip-off: 5:30 p.m.
Series Record: Morgan State leads, 18-7
TV: ESPN+
Audio: Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN.com)
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | nccueaglepride.com
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 4, 2024)--Morgan State will conclude its three-game homestand on Monday, Jan. 6, when it welcomes North Carolina Central to Hill Field House. Tip-off is slated for 5:30 p.m. and will stream live on ESPN+. Monday's game will be Baltimore Teacher's Appreciation Night.
 
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 (8-8, 1-0 MEAC), winners of two straight and four of its last five contests, is coming off a 55-54 comeback victory over South Carolina State in the MEAC opener for both teams on Saturday. Redshirt sophomore transfer Naya Ojukwu stepped to the charity line and calmly knocked down two free throws with 20 seconds remaining in the game to lead Morgan State to a come-from-behind victory over the Lady Bulldogs at Hill Field House. Ojukwu, who was making her Morgan State debut, came off the bench and finished with a team-high 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting and went 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Tamaria Rumph, who also had a team-high 13 points, recorded a game-high four steals and a game-high four assists to go with six rebounds. Laila Fair fell shy of a double-double, finishing with nine points and a game-high eight rebounds.
 
BIRD SEEDS: North Carolina Central (2-13, 0-1 MEAC) had its two-game winning streak come to an end, following a 69-66 road loss at Coppin State on Saturday. The loss also ended a four-game winning streak for NCCU over Coppin State. Morgan Callahan led the visiting Eagles with 20 points and 13 rebounds, both game highs, to record a double-double. Kyla Bryant finished with 17 points, three steals and had a game-high nine assists, while Shakiria Foster added 10 points, six rebounds and three steals. NCCU overcame a 13-point (51-38) deficit in the third period, by using a 28-11 run, capped off by back-to-back three-pointers and a layup from Bryant to put NCCU up, 66-62. Callahan would score 13 points during the run. However, Coppin State closed out the game scoring the final seven points, including the game winning three-pointer by Cire Worley with 1:07 remaining to give host Coppin the three-point win. The Eagles were picked to finish fourth in the MEAC Preseason Poll.
 
MSU VS. NCCU SERIES NOTES: Morgan State has won 10 of the last 13 meetings and leads the all-time season, 18-7. N.C. Central swept last season's series, winning the first meeting, 66-65 in Durham (2/5) to end a seven-game losing skid to the Lady Bears, before earning a 63-58 victory in Baltimore (3/4).

NEXT UP: Morgan State will head on the road for the first time in 2025, when it travels to the Nation's Capital to face Beltway foe Howard on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. at Burr Gymnasium in Washington, D.C.
 
MORGAN IN MEAC OPENERS: Morgan State won its third straight MEAC opener, following Saturday's, 55-54 victory over South Carolina State (1/4). The Lady Bears improved to 5-6 in their last 11 MEAC openers since the 2014-15 season.
 
TRACKING COACH DAVIS: Morgan State head coach Edward Davis picked up his 115th career coaching victory at Morgan, following the Lady Bears' 55-54 victory over visiting South Carolina State (1/4). Davis, who took over the helm of the Morgan State women's program for the 2016-17 season, currently ranks third all-time on the career coaching victories chart.
 
OJUKWU MAKES MORGAN DEBUT: Redshirt sophomore transfer Naya Ojukwu made her Morgan State debut on Saturday in the MEAC season opener against visiting South Carolina State. The Meridian, Idaho native, who checked into the game with 46.8 seconds remaining in the first quarter, came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points on 4-of-8 shooting, grabbed three rebounds and had a block in 14 minutes of action. Ojukwu, who also shot 5-of-6 from the free throw line, calmly knocked down two free throws with 20 seconds left in the game to lift Morgan State past South Carolina State, 55-54.
 
LADY BEARS MATCH 2023-24 WIN TOTAL: With 16 games in the books and 13 regular season games remaining for the 2024-25 Morgan State women's basketball team, the Lady Bears (8-8, 1-0 MEAC) have already matched their win total of eight wins (8-22, 3-11 MEAC) from a season ago.
 
NON-CONFERENCE FEAST AT HOME: Morgan State concluded its non-conference schedule with a 72-68 victory over Mount St. Mary's on Monday, Dec. 30. The win helped the Lady Bears finish with a 5-0 record at home against non-conference opponents. Since Coach Davis took over at the helm of the women's program, Morgan State has feasted on non-conference opposition at home. With the win over Mount St. Mary's, the Lady Bears improved to 32-7 at Hill Field House against non-conference opponents since the 2016-17 season. It marked the sixth time Morgan State went undefeated at home against non-conference foes, including 6-0 marks during the 2017-18 and 2022-23 campaigns. 
Home Record against non-conference opponents
2016-17 (1-2)
2017-18 (6-0)
2018-19 (2-3)
2019-20 (3-0)
2020-21 (3-0) abbreviated schedule from covid
2021-22 (3-0)
2022-23 (6-0)
2023-24 (3-2)
2024-25 (5-0)
 
GREEN HAS SEASON BEST OUTING: Freshman Nia Green scored a season-best 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting, pulled down five rebounds and notched a season-high five steals in the Lady Bears win over Presbyterian in the Puerto Rico Clasico opener (12/18). The 14 points marked her first double-digit outing, and the five steals was her first multiple steals game this season.
 
MORGAN PICKS UP SECOND WIN IN PUERTO RICO: Morgan State began the 2024 Puerto Rico Clasico with a 54-41 victory over Presbyterian (12/18). The win was the Lady Bears second all-time in Puerto Rico, as well as its second consecutive victory in the tournament dating back to last season's 53-51 win over UNC Asheville (11/24/23) in the finale.
 
FAIR PULLS DOWN CAEER-HIGH 20 REBOUNDS: Senior forward Laila Fair grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds in the loss at Old Dominion (11/11). Fair, who also added 16 points to record a double-double, tallied 15 of her 20 rebounds on the defensive end. Her 20 boards shattered her previous career high of 14 rebounds she recorded twice last season in back-to-back games at Maryland Eastern Shore and Delaware State.
 
CHARM CITY HOOPS CLASSIC: Morgan State finished 1-1 for the second consecutive season in the Charm City Hoops Classic. The Lady Bears defeated Towson, 64-63 at home (11/14), before falling on the road to UMBC, 81-72 (11/17). In 2023, local foes Morgan State, Towson and UMBC agreed to play each other every year in both men's and women's basketball in what is being billed as the Charm City Hoops Classic. Last season the Lady Bears also split their contests in the inaugural classic, falling on the road to Towson (80-69), before defeating UMBC (65-42) at home. The three schools previously participated in the Battle of Baltimore series for six seasons from the 1997-98 season through the 2002-03 campaign.
 
MORGAN PICKED FIFTH IN MEAC: The Morgan State Lady Bears were picked to finish fifth in the 2024-25 MEAC Preseason poll. The Lady Bears, who finished seventh a season ago, received 63 points. Defending MEAC regular season and tournament champion Norfolk State and Howard were picked as co-preseason favorites with 117 points each. The Spartans earned 11 of 16 first-place votes, while Howard received the remaining five first-place votes.
 
FAIR NAMED TO MEAC PRESEASON 3RD TEAM: Senior forward Laila Fair was named to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Despite playing in just 15 games and making 12 starts, Fair would lead the Lady Bears in rebounding with 7.1 boards per contest and was second on the team in scoring with 8.5 points in 25.6 minutes per game. A native of Middlesex, N.J., Fair also led Morgan State with 22 blocked shots, while totaling 18 steals and 10 assists.
 
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears improved to 15-33 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following their 70-60 victory over Shepherd (11/4/24). Morgan State at one point had lost 23 straight season openers prior to winning three straight from 2006-08.
 
EDUCATION DAY: Morgan State will hold its second annual Education Day on Wednesday, Nov. 20 when the Lady Bears play host to Washington Adventist at 11 a.m. at Hill Field House.
 
MORGAN IN THE PUERTO RICO CLASICO: Prior to the Christmas holiday break the Lady Bears will make their seventh appearance in the Puerto Rico Clasico event and sixth trip to Puerto Rico. Morgan State will face Presbyterian on Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 10:30 a.m. and will face Cleveland State on Thursday, Dec. 19 at 2 p.m. The Lady Bears, who are 1-10 all-time in the tournament, picked up their first win with a 53-51 victory over UNC Asheville to close out last year's tournament. Morgan first competed in the event during the 2016-17 season and attended four straight years from 2016-20. The 2017 tournament was moved to Fort Lauderdale, Fla. due to the damage of Hurricane Maria. Morgan State did not attend during the 2020-21 campaign due to an abbreviated schedule because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
 
WELCOME TO THE CAVE: Morgan State welcomes the addition of nine newcomers to the 2024-25 program this season. Four junior transfers in Ja'la Bannerman, Kimora Daly, Zaiha Minnis and Success Prysock; two sophomore transfers, Naya Ojukwu and Maya Woodson and three freshmen, Michaela Bogans, Nia Green and Kimora Lopez.
 
SAYING GOODBYE: The Lady Bears will say goodbye to three players at the conclusion of the home schedule, four-year member Emily Jones along with two-year members Laila Fair and Nakilah Johnson. Morgan State will honor its seniors on 'Senior Night' when the Lady Bears host Delaware State on Monday, March 3 in the home finale at Hill Field House.
   
2025 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2025 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 12-15, 2025 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.