Game 11 (Non-Conference)
Morgan State (1-9, 0-0 MEAC) vs. UMBC (3-5, 0-0 America East)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025
Site: Baltimore, Md. (Hill Field House)
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Series Record: UMBC leads the series, 16-14
TV: ESPN+
Audio: N/A
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | umbcretrievers.com
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 4, 2025)--The Lady Bears return home to Hill Field House this Saturday, Dec. 6 to host crosstown rival the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC). Tip-off is 2 p.m. and will air live on ESPN+. The game will be the first home contest for Morgan State since it hosted Johns Hopkins (11/18).

"I think rival games are the best. That's what makes basketball so fun, the rival games," said Morgan State head coach Nadine Domond on facing UMBC. "We've been on the road for a while, so, it's a chance to get home and play in front of our fans and our family. Hopefully everybody comes out we need them; we need the place to be rocking. We need everybody rocking and supporting the Bears."
 
Morgan State (1-9), which has dropped its last seven games, is coming off a hard fought 79-66 loss at Toledo on Tuesday. The Lady Bears would give the Rockets all they could handle the entire night. Ja'la Bannerman finished with a team-best 16 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Kailyn Nash came off the bench to score 13 points, and Gabrielle Johnson added 11 points. Johnson would knock down all seven of her free throw attempts, as the Lady Bears shot 81.8 percent (18-of-22) from the charity line. Jael Butler hauled in a team-high six rebounds and led the team with two steals to go with eight points.
 
UMBC (3-5) ended a four-game losing skid, following a 68-48 victory over Presbyterian on Sunday, Nov. 30 in the finale of the FIU Thanksgiving Classic. Jade Tillman scored a team-high 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Retrievers, while Heidi Williams added 10 points. Maisie Crowley and Lauren Thompson each came off the bench to add 10 points and Crowley pulled down seven rebounds.
 
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. UMBC SERIES NOTES: UMBC leads the all-time series, 16-14. Last season Morgan State had its two-game winning streak in the series snapped, following an 81-72 loss to the Retrievers (11/17/24) at Chesapeake Employers Insurance Areana.  
 
NEXT UP: Morgan State will head on the road for a four-game swing beginning with a Sunday, Dec. 14 matchup against Central Florida. Tip-off is at 2 p.m. in Orlando, Fla.
 
MORGAN STATE IN PUERTO RICO: Morgan State concluded its eighth time participating in a Puerto Rico sponsored event and the program's seventh trip to Puerto Rico and first time competing in the Puerto Rico Shootout (Nov. 26-28). Morgan State appeared seven times in the Puerto Rico Clasico event beginning with the 2016-17 season. 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. The Lady Bears finished this season dropping all three games in San Juan and fell to 2-14 all-time in Puerto Rico, following a 101-39 loss to 16^th-ranked Kentucky in the finale (11/28).
 
MAKE IT A DOUBLE: Maya Woodson recorded her first double-double at Morgan State in the contest against Johns Hopkins (11/18). Woodson would pull down a game-high 16 rebounds to tie her career high and added 10 points against the Blue Jays.
 
BANNERMAN, PRYSOCK, WOODSON HAVE CAREER DAY: Morgan State senior Ja'la Bannerman and Success Prysock and junior Maya Woodson each recorded career highs in the win over Washington Adventist (11/12). Bannerman recorded a career-high 25 points on 9-of-20 shooting from the field and was 3-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc. Prysock pulled down a career high 13 rebounds to go with nine points, while Woodson hauled in a game- and career-high 16 rebounds in the win over the Shock.
 
DOMOND GETS FIRST WIN AT MORGAN STATE: Coaching in her third game at the helm of the Morgan State women's basketball program, head coach Nadine Domond collected her first career win at Morgan, following an 88-49 victory over Washington Adventist at Hill Field House on Education Day (11/12).
 
MORGAN IN SEASON OPENERS: The Lady Bears fell to 15-34 all-time in season openers dating back to 1977, following their 86-36 loss at Virginia (11/4). 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. The two teams met during last season's Education Day, which Morgan State won 85-45.
 
CHARM CITY HOOPS CLASSIC: Morgan State will begin the 2025 Charm City Hoops Classic hosting UMBC on Saturday, Dec. 6 at 2 p.m. at Hill Field House. The Lady Bears will conclude the event with a trip to Towson, Md. to face the Tigers on Tuesday, Dec. 30 at 3 p.m. Last year the Lady Bears finished 1-1 last year 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.
 
DOMOND NAMED NINTH HEAD COACH AT MORGAN STATE: Morgan State University announced the hiring of Nadine Domond on April 9, 2025, as the ninth head coach in the women's basketball program's history. An accomplished collegiate coach and former WNBA player, Domond comes to Baltimore from Virginia State University, where she led the Lady Trojans to back-to-back 20-win seasons and historic success, including their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
 
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.
  
WELCOME TO THE CAVE: Morgan State welcomes the addition of seven newcomers to the 2025-26 program this season. One graduate player in Tiyanna James; a fifth-year player in Kailyn Nash; two senior transfers in Mihjae Hayes and Sierra Headquist and three junior transfers in Tyra Brown, Selina Gutierrez and Kamari Forrest
   
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.
 
 
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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.