SETTING THE STAGE
•  The hardwood will be the battleground on Friday night as the Morgan State Bears and the Norfolk State Spartans lock horns in a crucial MEAC Tournament Semifinals showdown. Morgan, entering the tournament as the No. 5 seed, understands the uphill battle they face against the top-seeded Spartans, a team they've had a mixed record against this season. While the Bears managed to split their regular season contests with Norfolk, the memory of their recent 69-60 defeat on February 24th undoubtedly fuels their desire for revenge. With a coveted spot in Saturday's Championship game hanging in the balance, the pressure is on for Morgan to deliver a performance that will propel them to the MEAC title game.. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. at Norfolk Scope Arena and fans unable to attend in person can catch all the action live on ESPN+.

•  Morgan withstood a last second push by Howard to post a 91-90 win against MEAC defending champion Howard in the Quarterfinals  on Thursday night. Kameron Hobbs exploded for a game-high 33 points and added 7 rebounds, while Will Thomas and Daniel Akitoby addded 14 points apiece.

• Jalen Myers had 22 points and top-seeded Norfolk State beat No. 8 seed Maryland-Eastern Shore 77-70 on Wednesday night to begin the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament.

• 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 NORFOLK STATE
• Head coach Robert Jones is in his 12th season leading the Norfolk State men's basketball program in 2024-25 and his 18th year overall with the Spartans. Over the course of his decorated career, Jones has racked up over 200 wins, secured two MEAC Tournament titles, and received three MEAC Coach of the Year awards.

• Coach Jones led Norfolk State to its first nonconference postseason championship in the program's Division I history in 2024, defeating Purdue Fort-Wayne 75-67 in the CollegeInsider.com Tournament (CIT) title game. Christian Ings earned MVP honors for the event, helping the Spartans erase an 18-point deficit in the championship showdown.

• The Spartans were picked to finish second in the MEAC Preseason Poll, finished the regular season with a 22-11 overall record (11-3 MEAC) and lost to Howard in  the conference tournament championship. Norfolk State graduate guard Christian Ings and sophomore forward Chris Fields Jr. landed on the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team, while senior guards Jaylani Darden and Sin'Cere McMahon earned preseason All-MEAC Third Team honors.

• Brian Moore Jr. (Harlem, N.Y.), Christian Ings (Philadelphia, Pa.) and Jalen Myers (Huntsville, Ala.) currently lead the Spartans in scoring. Moore is averaging 18.7 points (No. 2 in MEAC), 3.6 rebounds and is shooting a league-best 56% from the field (No. 2) and 83% from the free throw line (No. 4). Ings, a graduate guard, is averaging 11.6 points, 2.0 rebounds and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from three. Myers, a 6-foot-8 forward, is chipping in 11.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and is shooting 54 percent from the field.

•  Jaylin Myers had 22 points and top-seeded Norfolk State beat No. 8 seed Maryland-Eastern Shore 77-70 on Wednesday night to begin the MEAC Tournament. Myers also had six rebounds for the Spartans. Chris Fields Jr. scored 13 points, finishing 6 of 8 from the floor. Brian Moore Jr. shot 3 of 6 from the field and 4 of 5 from the free-throw line to finish with 10 points.

NSU by the Numbers
• 78.2: NSU currently ranks No. 5 in the MEAC in scoring.
• 18.7: The Spartans have been led by Brian Moore Jr. who ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in scoring.
• 3.3:  Christian Ings leads NSU in assists (ranks No. 5 in the MEAC).
• 69.5: On average NSU is giving up just under 70 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 1).
• .555: Moore's field goal percentage.

THE SERIES VS. THE SPARTANS
• NSU leads the series 48-19, winning 10 of the last 13 meetings between the schools. 

•  Norfolk State won the last meeting between the teams on February 24, 2025 -- Five Spartans scored in double-figures in a 69-60 win against Morgan State on Monday night at Joseph G. Echols Memorial Hall. Christian Ings led the Spartans with 12 points on 5-for 10 shooting from the field and had three rebounds. Jalen Moore (11), Terrence Jones (11), Chris Fields Jr. (11) and Jalen Myers (10) also scored double-figures.

• Morgan's last win against NSU was on January 13, 2025 -- Redshirt senior guard Kameron Hobbs scored 18 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lead the Morgan to a 78-74 victory against Norfolk State on Monday night at Hill Field House. Daniel Akitoby and Amahrie Simpkins scored 15 points each. Akitoby also finished with six boards, four steals and three assists. Terrence Jones paced the Spartans with 20 points, five rebounds and three steals in 27 minutes.

LAST TIME OUT 
NORFOLK, Va. - Fifth-seeded Morgan State built a commanding 15-point lead late in the game but needed a clutch driving layup by Kameron Hobbs with 9.2 seconds remaining to escape with a 91-90 victory over fourth-seeded Howard in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men's basketball quarterfinals Thursday night at the Norfolk Scope Arena.

• Hobbs, whose jumper at the 2:52 mark put the Bears ahead 86-71, finished with a game-high 33 points and seven rebounds in the dramatic win.

• Hobbs, whose jumper at the 2:52 mark put the Bears ahead 86-71, finished with a game-high 33 points and seven rebounds in the dramatic win.

• Following Johnson's go-ahead basket, Morgan State called timeout to set up a final play. Hobbs took the inbound pass from Rob Lawson, sliced through the defense, and finished a layup to put the Bears back on top with 9.2 seconds to play. Howard raced down the court and had two chances at the basket in the final seconds, but the ball was batted around as time expired, sealing the win for Morgan State.

• Howard (12-20) had five players in double figures, led by Harper's 28 points. Cameron Shockley-Okeke added 17, Anwar Gill had 15, Marcus Dockery chipped in 12, and Johnson finished with 11. Calvin Robins Jr. led Howard with 10 rebounds, while Shockley-Okeke grabbed six.

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 set the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) regular season with an average of 80.4 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 ranked No. 2 in the MEAC shooting 48 percent from the field and No. 6 shooting 33.9 percent from beyond the arc.

• Kameron Hobbs (16.6 ppg; No. 7 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 had scored at least 20 points in 8-consecutive games before his outing against Maryland Eastern Shore (Feb. 1) in which he scored 10 points.  

• His 20-point run was 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 St. and 20 at Coppin St.

• Additionally, he has scored in double-figures 25 times, including his last 20 games... and he's scored 20 or more points in 15 games, including a 33 point performance vs. #4 seed Howard in a MEAC Quarterfinals victory on Thursday night.

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

• The Bears rank No. 9 in the NCAA based on their efficiency in scoring off fast breaks.

• Averaging an impressive 15.3 points per game from fastbreaks, they capitalize on opponents' mistakes and turn defensive plays into offensive opportunities. 

STAY ON TARGET
• Morgan is shooting .481 (928-1931) from the floor and shot 50 percent-or-better 12 times (10-2 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.

HOBBS ENTERS 1,000 POINT CLUB 
• Redshirt senior guard Kameron Hobbs scored 15 points at Maryland Eastern Shore to enter the 1,000 point club. 

• He currently has 1,090 career points at Morgan and sits at No. 26 on the school's all-time scoring list behind Phil Pugh (1,146 pts; 1969-73).

A WIN WOULD...
• Be program Division I win 480.
• Be Coach Broadus' 83rd win at Morgan.
• Be Coach Broadus' 120th career win.
• Be Morgan's 20th win in the series against Norfolk State.
• Advance the Bears to the MEAC Finals for the first time since 2010.
• It would mark Morgan's 11th MEAC Tournament Finals appearance since 1974.
• Be better than a loss.

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 Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 
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Facebook: /MorganStateBears
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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.