Game 30 (MEAC Quarterfinal)
#6 Morgan State (13-16, 6-8 MEAC) vs #3 Maryland Eastern Shore (13-16, 8-6 MEAC)
Date: Thursday, March 13, 2025
Site: Norfolk, Va. (Norfolk Scope Arena)
Tip-off: 2 p.m.
Series Record: UMES leads, 49-43
TV: ESPN+
Audio: HSRN
Live Stats: Here
Websites: MorganStateBears.com | umeshawksports.com
Tournament Central | Women's Bracket
Morgan's MEAC Tournament History
 
BALTIMORE, Md. (March 7, 2025)--The Lady Bears will begin their quest for the program's first-ever Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Tournament crown on Thursday, March 13 in the quarterfinal round. Morgan State, which will enter as the sixth seed, will face third-seeded Maryland Eastern Shore at 2 p.m. at the Norfolk Scope Arena. This will be the 10^th meeting between the two programs in the MEAC Tournament and the first since a 49-46 quarterfinal win for UMES in the 2023 MEAC Quarterfinal round.
 
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 MSU broadcasts from anywhere. Simply search for HSRN when using the iHeartRadio app.

BEAR CLAWS: Morgan State (13-16, 6-8 MEAC), winners of two straight, is coming off a 59-54 road victory over rival Coppin State on Thursday, March 6 at the PEC Arena. Naya Ojukwu scored a game-high 15 points and pulled down eight rebounds, while Ja'la Bannerman added 12 points to lead Morgan past its rivals in the regular season finale. Ojukwu tallied a game-high four steals and a game-high five blocks, while Emily Jones scored a career-high 10 points and Gabrielle Johnson finished with a game-high seven assists, as the Lady Bears spoiled Coppin's Senior Night and chance to wrap up sole possession of third place and the No. 3 seed in the MEAC Tournament.
 
HAWK TALONS: Maryland Eastern Shore (13-16, 8-6 MEAC) concluded the regular season on a five-game winning streak, following its 69-35 victory at Delaware State in the regular season finale (3/6). Ce'nara Skanes scored a game-high 18 points and pulled down six rebounds, while Zamara Haynes added 14 points and dished out a game-high seven assists. The Hawks forced 29 Delaware State turnovers, which they converted into 35 points. Haynes would be named to the All-MEAC Second Team.
 
MSU VS. UMES SERIES NOTES: Maryland Eastern Shore leads the all-time series, 49-43. Morgan State, which has won 11 of the last 18 meetings, is on a three-game losing skid to the Hawks, as UMES swept the season series. The Hawks won the first meeting, 77-59 in Baltimore (2/1) and claimed a 70-59 victory in Princess Anne (3/1). Thursday' contest will mark the 10^th meeting between the two in MEAC Tournament play with Morgan State holding a 5-4 advantage. The Lady Bears and UMES last meet in the quarterfinal of the 2023 MEAC Tournament, a 49-46 victory for the Hawks.

NEXT UP: The winner will advance to the MEAC semifinal round and will face the winner of #2 Howard and #7 Delaware State on Friday, March 14 at 2 p.m.
 
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.
 
ONE LAST ROAR: The 2025 MEAC Tournament will be 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, currently 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 regular season title ever. 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. This 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 has 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 2^nd in MEAC games in scoring, 4^th in rebounding, 5^th in FG%, 5^th in blocks, 8^th in FT% and 23^rd 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.
 
TRACKING COACH DAVIS: Morgan State head coach Edward Davis picked up his 120th career coaching victory at Morgan, following the Lady Bears' 59-54 victory at Coppin State (3/6) in the regular season finale. 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 and is now three wins away from moving into a tie for second place with LaRue Fields (122 wins from 1978-85).
 
JONES MOVING UP IN STEALS: Senior guard Emily Jones has recorded 116 steals for her Morgan State career, which ranks 15^th on the career charts list. The San Francisco, Calif., native had a season-best 37 steals this season, which ranks second on the team. Jones set a career-high six steals this season in a win over Washington Adventist (11/20).
 
THE RIVALRY CONTINUES: Rivals Morgan State and Coppin State met for the 94th time in Round 2 of the annual 'East vs. West' season series on Thursday, March 6 at the PEC Arena. Morgan State would win, 59-54 to split the season series. Also known as the 'Battle of Baltimore' or simply 'Coppin-Morgan', this season marked the fifth consecutive season that Morgan State and Coppin State closed out the regular season playing against each other in the season finale. The Eagles won the first meeting, 61-56 at Hill Field House (1/25). Morgan State has won 13 of the last 17 regular season contests over the Eagles.
 
SAYING GOODBYE: The Lady Bears said goodbye to three players on Monday, March 3 in four-year member Emily Jones along with two-year members Laila Fair and Nakilah Johnson. Morgan State honored its seniors on 'Senior Night' prior to the Lady Bears' home finale against Delaware State at Hill Field House.
 
OJUKWU RECORDS SEVENTH DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Naya Ojukwu collected her seventh double-double of the season, after scoring 14 points and grabbing a game-high 15 rebounds in the home finale win over Delaware State (3/3). She would shoot 7-of-15 from the floor and added one assist and a block.
 
PROTECTING THE 'HOUSE': A year after going 5-8 at home and suffering its first losing season at Hill Field House since the 2018-19 campaign, the Lady Bears finished with an 8-4 mark at home, following a 68-47 victory over Delaware State to conclude the 2024-25 home slate. Morgan State has now won 49 of its last 66 home games dating back to the 2019-20 campaign. Morgan State went 11-2 at Hill Field House during the 2022-23 season to set the school record for most home wins in a season, passing the previous mark of 10 wins set by both the 2017-18 and 2019-20 teams. The Lady Bears went 9-1 at Hill Field House during the 2021-22 season. During an abbreviated 2020-21 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic, MSU went 6-1 at Hill Field House. The season before that the Lady Bears concluded the 2019-20 campaign with a 10-1 home record, which was the program's best home court mark since the 2017-18 team finished 10-3.
 
THE STREAK IS OVER: Morgan State's 68-47 victory over Delaware State on Monday, March 3, ended a four-game losing skid and also put to rest a four-game home losing streak. The Lady Bears ended the home slate with an 8-4 record at Hill Field House. It was Morgan's fifth home winning record in the last six seasons.
 
MAKE IT A DOUBLE: Naya Ojukwu leads Morgan with seven double-doubles, including four in the last five games. Ojukwu is coming off scoring a career-high 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in the loss to Howard (2/22) to earn her sixth double-double. In just her second outing in a Morgan State uniform against North Carolina Central (1/7), she recorded 24 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, both season highs at the time…Jael Butler has collected two double-doubles, including a 13 rebounds, 12 points performance at Central Connecticut State (12/7)…Laila Fair has one double-double, totaling a career-high 20 rebounds and 16 points at Old Dominion (11/11).
 
I'M COMING HOME: Morgan State junior transfer Ja'la Bannerman returned to Princess Anne, Md. and the Hytche Athletic Center on Saturday, March 1 for the first time as a member of the Lady Bears. Bannerman, a native of Baltimore, spent her first two seasons playing for Maryland Eastern Shore. She would finish with nine points, a team-high three assists and a team-high three steals.
 
OJUKWU SCORES CAREER-HIGH 29 POINTS: Redshirt freshman Naya Ojukwu scored a career-high 29 points and pulled down 10 rebounds against Howard (2/22) to record her sixth double-double of the season. The Meridian, Idaho native shot 8-of-16 from the floor and was 13-of-19 from the free throw line. She also added two assists and had two steals.
 
GREEN HAS SEASON BEST OUTING: Freshman Nia Green set a new season best with 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting, while pulling down nine rebounds at North Carolina Central (2/17). Green's totals surpassed her previous season bests of 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting and five rebounds, along with 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.
 
IT WON'T BE US: Morgan State wrapped up the first half of the MEAC slate with a 64-49 victory at Delaware State. With the win, the Lady Bears improved to 10-12, 3-4 in the MEAC and avoided becoming the Hornets' (3-17, 0-7 MEAC) first league win of the season. Delaware State would lose its next two MEAC contests to fall to 0-9, before defeating South Carolina State (2/22) for its first league victory. The Lady Bears and Hornets met again for the Lady Bears' home finale and Senior Night (3/3) in Baltimore and Morgan State won, 68-47 to complete the season series sweep. 
 
LADY BEARS PASS 2023-24 WIN TOTAL: The 2024-25 Morgan State women's basketball team (13-16, 6-8 MEAC) passed their win total of eight wins (8-22, 3-11 MEAC) from a season ago. It was an improvement of five games overall and three victories in league play from last season.
 
DAVIS RETURNS TO THE HORNETS NEST: Morgan State head coach Ed Davis, Jr., made his ninth trip back to Memorial Hall as an opposing head coach on Monday, Feb. 3, when the Lady Bears traveled to Dover, Del. to take on Delaware State. The Lady Bears ended a three-game losing skid to the Hornets with a 64-49 victory and hold a 15-8 lead against DSU, since Davis joined the Morgan State staff as an assistant coach in 2012-13. Morgan State has now won nine of the last 13 meetings in Dover. Davis, who once patrolled the sideline for 12 seasons as the head coach of Delaware State, is the winningest coach in Hornets' program history with 178 victories. While at Delaware State, Davis guided the Hornets to the MEAC Championship and an NCAA Tournament berth in 2007.
 
OJUKWU RECORDS DOUBLE-DOUBLE: Naya Ojukwu scored a game-high 24 points and pulled down a game-high 13 rebounds to help Morgan State to an 84-78 victory over North Carolina Central (1/7). Ojukwu, who was playing in her second game and making her first start as a Lady Bear, shot 9-of-16 from the floor, scored 10 of the Lady Bears' first 14 points and scored 19 of her 24 points in the first half.
 
BOGANS HAS CAREER DAY: Freshman Michaela Bogans came off the bench in the North Carolina Central win (1/7) and had a career game thus far. The 5-foot-6 guard scored a season-high 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting for a season-best .692 shooting percentage. Bogans also had a season- and team-high four steals and a team-high five assists.
 
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.
 
OJUKWU MAKES MORGAN DEBUT: Redshirt freshman transfer Naya Ojukwu made her Morgan State debut in the MEAC season opener against visiting South Carolina State (1/4). 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.
 
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)
 
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.
   

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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.