Game 1 (Season Opener)
Morgan State (0-0, 0-0 MEAC) at Virginia (0-0, 0-0 ACC)
Date: Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2025
Site: Charlottesville, Va. (John Paul Jones Arena)
Tip-off: 7 p.m.
Series Record: Virginia leads, 5-0
TV: ACC Network
Audio: HSRN
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | Virginiasports.com
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Nov. 3, 2025)--The Coach Nadine Domond era at Morgan State gets underway on Tuesday, Nov. 4, when the Lady Bears begin the 2025-26 campaign on the road to take on the University of Virginia. Tip-off is at 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena. This will be the sixth meeting between the two programs with the Cavaliers leading the series, 5-0.
 
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 Nadine Domond and men's coach Kevin Broadus. Fans can download the HSRN app for free and listen to MSU broadcasts from anywhere. Simply search for HSRN when using the iHeartRadio app.
 
MSU VS. VIRGINIA SERIES NOTES: Virginia leads the all-time series, 5-0. The Lady Bears and Cavaliers last met on Dec. 18, 2022 in Charlottesville, an 84-28 victory by Virginia. Prior to that, the two teams faced each other on March 17, 2011 in the first round of the WNIT. Virginia would win, 69-56.
 
NEXT UP: The Lady Bears will kick off their home slate on Sunday, Nov. 9, when they welcome Stetson to Hill Field House for a 2 p.m. tip.
 
MORGAN PICKED FIFTH IN MEAC: The Morgan State Lady Bears were picked to finish fifth in the 2025-26 MEAC Preseason poll. The Lady Bears, who finished sixth a season ago, received 62 points. Howard was picked to claim the title with 10 first-place votes and 118 points. Defending MEAC regular season and tournament champion Norfolk State was picked to finish third with four first-place votes and 107 points.
 
BANNERMAN NAMED TO MEAC PRESEASON FIRST TEAM: Senior guard Ja'la Bannerman was named to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team. Bannerman started 16 of 24 games a year ago, averaging 8.5 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. The Baltimore native tallied 204 points, 31 rebounds, 25 steals, 24 assists and three blocks. She ranked 14^th in the MEAC in 3-pt FG (.298), 18^th in 3-pt FGs per game (1.0) and 20^th in scoring. Bannerman led the team in 3-pointers made (25) and reached double figures in scoring 10 times, including a season-high 21 points in a win against Shepherd.
 
BUTLER, JOHNSON NAMED TO MEAC PRESEASON THIRD TEAM: Senior forward Jael Butler and senior guard Gabrielle Johnson were named to the Preseason All-MEAC Third Team. A native of Gilroy, Calif., Butler averaged 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game last season. She started 18 of 27 games played and finished third on the team in blocks with 20. Butler finished with 211 points, 118 rebounds, 14 steals and six assists. She ranked fifth in the MEAC in FG% (.439), eighth in blocked shots, 14^th in rebounding and 22^nd in scoring. Johnson ranked 12^th in the MEAC in assists (2.1) and 21^st in scoring (8.0) last season as a junior. A native of Baltimore, Johnson averaged 8.0 points and 2.3 rebounds per game. She started in 13 of 25 games and finished with 201 points, 57 rebounds, 53 assists, 15 steals, and six blocks.
 
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 third annual Education Day on Wednesday, Nov. 12 when the Lady Bears play host to Washington Adventist at 11 a.m. at Hill Field House.
   
2026 MEAC TOURNAMENT: The 2026 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's and women's basketball tournament is scheduled for March 11-14, 2026 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.
 
ONE LAST ROAR: The 2025 MEAC Tournament was the last for Morgan State head coach Ed Davis, Jr. on the sideline for the Lady Bears. Davis, who took over the helm of the women's program prior to the 2016-17 season, ranks third on the Morgan State career coaching charts with 120 victories. Davis was named the 2019-20 MEAC Coach of the Year after leading the Lady Bears to a 12-4 MEAC mark. During the 2021-22 season, Davis guided the Lady Bears to a share of the MEAC regular season crown, the program's first and lone regular season title. A year later, the Lady Bears reached postseason play for just the second time on the Division I level, when they advanced to the WNIT. Last season, Davis had three players (Naya Ojukwu, Michaela Bogans and Nia Green) earn All-MEAC honors, marking the ninth consecutive season in his nine years at Morgan State that Davis had an All-MEAC selection. A four-time Hall of Famer, one as a player at West Virginia State (2008) and three as a coach at Bowie State (2014) and twice at Delaware State (2017 and 2024), Davis is proud of the impact that he's had on kids at the three schools he's coached at (Bowie State, Delaware State and Morgan State). "I've coached 600 girls and 550 got their degrees. The championships are nice, but those are the things that mean a lot to me," said Davis.
 
OJUKWU NAMED MEAC NEWCOMER: Redshirt freshman Naya Ojukwu was named 2024-25 MEAC Newcomer of the Year and earned All-MEAC Second Team honors. Ojukwu marks the ninth consecutive season the Lady Bears have had an all-conference selection in Coach Ed Davis, Jr.'s nine seasons at Morgan State. A native of Meridian, Idaho, Ojukwu helped the Lady Bears to a tie for fifth place in the MEAC regular season standings. She averaged a team-leading 16.5 points and a team-best 9.1 rebounds per game, while recording 18 blocks, 17 steals and eight assists to go with 231 points and 127 rebounds. Ojukwu finished the regular season ranked 2nd in MEAC games in scoring, 4th in rebounding, 5th in FG%, 5th in blocks, 8th in FT% and 23rd in steals. She reached double figures in scoring in 13 of the 14 games she played and had seven double-doubles. Ojukwu closed out the regular season recording a career-high five blocks, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds in the win at rival Coppin State (3/6). She pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds to go with 14 points in the home finale against Delaware State (3/3) and scored a career-high 29 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against Howard (2/22). Ojukwu tallied her first double-double in her second outing as a Lady Bear, finishing with 24 points and 13 rebounds against North Carolina Central (1/7).
 
BOGANS NAMED TO MEAC ROOKIE TEAM: Michaela Bogans was named to the All-MEAC Rookie Team. Bogans, who played in all 29 games and made 12 starts, averaged 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 steals per contest. She ended the regular season tied for the team lead in steals with 43 and ranked 24th in the MEAC in steals and 20th in assists. The Augusta, Ga. native scored a season-best 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting, dished out five assists and tied a career-high four steals against North Carolina Central (1/7). She set a career-high six assists and had three steals against Washington Adventist (11/20). Bogans was joined by teammate Nia Green, marking the third straight year Morgan State has had a member on the all-rookie team.
 
GREEN NAMED TO MEAC ROOKIE TEAM: Nia Green was named to the All-MEAC Rookie Team. Green, a native of Columbia, Md., averaged 4.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. She concluded the regular season ranked 11th in the MEAC in rebounding and 19th in blocks. Green fell short of a double-double with a season-high 15 points and a season-high nine rebounds at North Carolina Central (2/17) and put together nine points and nine rebounds at Delaware State (2/3). She finished with a season-high five steals to go with 14 points and five rebounds in a win over Presbyterian in the Puerto Rico Clasico (12/18). Green was joined by teammate Michaela Bogans, marking the third straight year Morgan State has had a member on the all-rookie team.
 
 
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 Bear athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
• Follow us on social media:
 Facebook: /MorganStateBears
 Twitter: @MorganStBears
 Instagram: /MorganStateBears
 
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.