Game Dates: Dec. 27 & 29, 2012
Opponent: Loyola Marymount, San Diego
Site: Los Angeles, Calif./San Diego, Calif.
Game Time: LMU 7 p.m. (PT)/San Diego 7:30 p.m. (PT)
MSU Coach: Todd Bozeman (114-90 – 7th yr)
Websites: MorganStateBears.com/ LMULions.com/USDToreros.com

BALTIMORE, Md. — Morgan State men’s basketball team will play a pair of holiday games on the west coast just before the New Year. The Loyola Marymount Lions will host Morgan State in the 2nd Annual LMU Holiday Classic on Thursday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. in Los Angeles, Calif. The Bears will also face the San Diego Toreros on Saturday, Dec. 29 as part of the Classic.

Bear Bits:

• After opening the season with a 71 point effort in a win against UTSA, the Bears have gone 3-5 while averaging 68 points and 45 percent shooting.

• Morgan State, who shot 67.6 percent from the line last season, continues to have hard times from the stripe … through the first eight games the Bears are shooting 59 percent (120-203 FT).

• The Bears, who held VMI to 9 of 32 from 3-point range, have allowed an average of 74.5 points and opponents are shooting 33 percent from 3-point territory.

• Morgan State shot a season-high 52.8 percent at South Carolina and a season best 65.0 percent from the stripe, with 11 steals.

• DeWayne Jackson has scored 119 points in eight games and ranks among the MEAC’s scoring leaders ranked No. 5 (14.9 ppg).

• One area where the Bears haven’t been inconsistent is under the basket. Morgan State ranks No. 3 in the league in total rebounding at 34.9 per game, No. 3 in offensive rebounds at 36.6 and No. 1 in field goal percentage at 45.6.

• Justin Black was just shy of posting a triple-double at Liberty. The junior guard finished with a career-high 12 rebounds to go along with nine points and nine assists … he enters the LMU Holiday Classic game looking to bounce back from a 2 point effort at Virginia.

• DeWayne Jackson is ranked among the top theft artists in school history. Jackson has collected 136 steals with the Bears steals with the Bears and currently ranks No. 5. The school record for career steals is held by Terrence Wright (1992-96) with 186 career steals … Jackson is 52 steals away from becoming the school’s new leader.

MORGAN STATE VS. LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 
Morgan State hold a 2-0 record against Loyola Marymount in school history. The Bears defeated the Lions 81-79 in the 2010-11 season-opener at Gersten Pavilion, and dropped LMU 69-45 at Hill Feild House on Dec. 27, 2011.

MORGAN STATE VS. THE WCC
Morgan State is 2-0 vs. the West Coast Conference by posting two wins against Loyola Marymount.

SCOUTING THE LIONS
The Lions welcome back eight veterans — three starters — from a squad that posted a 21-13 overall record, finished 4th in the WAC with a 11-5 mark. Anthony Ireland leads LMU averaging 20.3 points and is shooting 40 percent from 3-point territory. Ashley Hamilton is also averaging double-figures (14.4 ppg) and leads the squad on the boards with 7.7 rebounds. Head coach Max Good (Eastern Kentucky ’69) enters his fifth season as the Lions head coach and he currently holds a 58-82 record.

MORGAN STATE VS. SAN DIEGO 

Morgan State will play San Diego for the first time in school history.

SCOUTING THE TOREROS

The Toreros welcome back nine veterans — five starters — from a squad that posted a 13-18 overall record, finished 6th in the WCC with a 7-9 ledger.  Sophomore guard Johnny Dee leads San Diego averaging 14.3 points and is shooting 41 percent from 3-point territory. Senior forward Ken Rancifer is also averaging double-figures (10.2 ppg) and is averaging 5.0 rebounds. Head coach Bill Grier (Oregon ’90) enters his sixth season as the Toreros head coach and he currently holds a 74-101 record.
MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

UNFAMILIAR FOES
Morgan State will face six teams this season that the program has never met in its basketball history. The first time opponents are: UTSA, Old Dominion, Holy Cross, South Carolina, Illinois State and San Diego. The Bears do not see a familiar foe until the Nov. 29 matchup at Liberty (MSU leads, 1-0), their fifth game of the season. The other five opponents MSU previously has played are University of Virginia (trails, 0-1), Loyola Marymount (leads, 2-0), and Saint Joseph’s (trails, 0-1).

ROAD WARRIORS
Morgan State, which played its first eight games on the road, has won 17 of its past 30 games held away from Hill Field House, including a 1-2 mark on neutral courts. The Bears finished 5-10 in true road contests and 0-3 on neutral floors in 2011-12 and posted a 4-4 road conference ledger, which was its worst mark since Todd Bozeman took over the program in 2006. This season’s schedule will send MSU on the road for 10 of its first 11 games, including a six-game road trip from Nov. 29-Dec. 29 that features contests in three different time zones. The Bears are guaranteed at least 19 games away from home this season.

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. There are seven (7) juniors, four (4) sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK
DeWayne Jackson (1,275, 422 rebs., 133 asts) needs just 18 points to surpass Jason McCoy (1,292 points – 1987-91) to become the school’s No. 12 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson (2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points.

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophomore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .561 (114-89) after 202 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.
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ALL-CONFERENCE SELECTIONS UNDER BOZEMAN
During his tenure in Baltimore, Todd Bozeman has coached seven (7) different players to All-Conference honors, including four Players of the Year selections: Ron Timus (2007 2nd Team), Boubacar Coly (2008 Defensive POTY, 1st Team), Jamar Smith (2008 Offensive POTY, 1st Team), Marquise Kately (2008 & 2009 2nd Team), Reggie Holmes (2007 All-Rookie, 2008 2nd Team, 2009 Offensive POTY, 2009 & 2010 1st Team), Kevin Thompson (2009 All-Rookie, 2010 Defensive POTY, 2010 1st Team, 2011 2nd Team), DeWayne Jackson (Rookie of the Year, 2011 1st Team).

THREE IN DOUBLE FIGURES
n the first eight games of the season, three Bears average more than 12 points a game. DeWayne Jackson leads the squad in offensively with 14.9 points per game and in steals with 2.5 rpg. Anthony Hubbard is contributing 13.9 ppg and Justin Black is averaging 12.1 ppg.

JACKSON DOING A LITTLE OF EVERYTHING EARLY ON
Senior DeWayne Jackson is filling the stat sheet in the early season, averaging 14.9 points (ranked No. 5), 4.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals (ranked No. 2) per game. Jackson has also registered three blocks. He has recorded seven double-digit scoring games, including a 32-point effort at Virginia (Dec. 19).

BLACK & DUNCAN ACTIVE OFF THE BENCH
Junior Justin Black and sophomore Shaquille Duncan are key contributors off the Bears bench. Both are high-energy players with the ability to ignite the team. Black played a big role in Morgan State’s win over Liberty by almost posting a triple-double. He finished the game with 12 rebounds, nine points and nine assists. He currently ranks third on the team in scoring (12.1) and is averaging 4.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 31.6 minutes per game.
Duncan has played in every game, averaging 23.5 minutes per game. He led the Bears to an overtime victory at VMI where he posted a career-high 17 points and 14 rebounds with three blocks. He’s averaging 6.4 points, 4.3 rebounds and ranks No. 4 in the MEAC by averaging 2.3 blocks per game.

NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State’s Michael Murray has been selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Player of the Week the league announced on Monday.

Murray averaged 15.0 points and 11.5 rebounds in games against UMBC and Wagner. The junior scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in the Eagles victory at UMBC and added 11 points and 10 rebounds against Wagner.

He shot 63.2 percent from the floor, including 60.0 percent from the three-point line, in the two games. He also added three assists, three steals and a blocked shot.

Murray leads the Eagles averaging 13.4 points and 10.8 rebounds per game and has seven double-doubles for the year.

Rashid Gaston of Norfolk State was named the MEAC Rookie of the Week and Austin Witter of North Carolina A&T took home the Defensive Player of the Week honors.

UMBC faces a team- Norfolk State- that is coming off a landmark season. The Spartans posted a 26-10 record a year ago and defeated Missouri in the second round of the NCAA Championship. It is the first-ever meeting between the Retrievers and Spartans.

RETRIEVER UPDATE: UMBC (2-7) rallied late to tie American at the end of regulation in the first overtime period, but fell, 73-70, to the Eagles in double overtime on Dec. 6. SR G Ryan Cook led all scorers with 24 points. It was UMBC’s second home overtime loss  of the season- the Retrievers have led five of nine games with ten minutes remaining. Cook leads the squad and is second in America East with 17.4 ppg.

SPARTAN UPDATE: Norfolk State lost four of five starters from last season’s NCAA Championship team, but the Spartans have won three straight to even their record at 5-5. They won a pair of MEAC decisions, 55-45 at Savannah State and 78-72 at South Carolina State on Dec. 1 and 3. JR G Pendarvis Williams, the lone returning starter from last year’s squad, leads a balanced attack wtih 11.3 ppg. Today’s game will just be the second at home for the Spartans.

WHO’S UP NEXT:  UMBC plays its final game before exams start when they host another MEAC institution, Coppin State, on Wed., Dec. 12. Tip time at the RAC Arena is set for 7:00 p.m.

NORFOLK, Va. – Coppin State freshman Patrick Cole was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week, while junior teammate Michael Murray was named the MEAC Defensive Player of the Week the league announced on Monday.

Cole earned his second MEAC Rookie of the Week honor after scoring 21 points in the Eagles 98-78 victory over Cheyney on Saturday. He was 6-of-10 from the floor, which included making 2-of-3 three-point attempts, and 7-of-8 from the free throw line. He also added three assists and a steal.

Murray earned his first Defensive Player of the Week award after posting 14 points and grabbing a career-high 15 rebounds against Cheyney. He also had two assists and a steal and reached double figures in rebounding for the fourth consecutive game.

Adrien Coleman of Bethune-Cookman was named the MEAC Player of the Week.

Coppin State returns to action on Wednesday as it hosts Loyola at 7:30 p.m. in the Physical Education Complex.

NORFOLK, Va. — Coppin State’s Patrick Cole was named the Co-Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Rookie of the Week the league announced on Monday. Cole shared the award with Darryl Palmer of South Carolina State.

Cole scored 25 points against USC in his Coppin State debut. He finished the game 7-of-13 from the floor and made 3-of-4 three-point attempts to lead the Eagles in scoring against the Trojans. He also added a game-high six steals.

Cole scored the most points by a Coppin State player in a season opener since Jorge Cajigas had 28 points against UMBC on Nov. 19, 1999. It also was the most points scored by a CSU freshman in a season-opening game since the Eagles joined the MEAC in 1985-86.

Brandon Goode of Norfolk State was named the MEAC Player of the Week and Marques Oliver of Delaware State was honored as the Defensive Player of the Week.

Coppin State will face Texas tonight at 8 p.m. in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational in Austin, Texas.

GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-6, 2-4 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup at Norfolk State on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Dick Price Stadium.  The Spartans enter the 2012 season under the leadership of eight-year head coach Pete Adrian. The Spartans (3-7, 1-6) are coming off its first conference win following a 33-21 homecoming win against Savannah State. The Bears fell 24-13 at Hughes Stadium against top-ranked Bethune-Cookman.

THE BEARS-SPARATNS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Spartans will meet for the 25th time since 1965. Norfolk State leads the series 14-10 and has won the last five meetings against MSU.

•  Nov. 12, 2011 – Morgan State took the field at Hughes Stadium Saturday still with an outside shot at a share of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title. But after gamely battling No. 22 Norfolk State throughout the first half, the Bears saw their chances disappear with one utterly forgettable stretch to open the second half.

Morgan allowed 17 straight points in a span of 4 minutes, 26 seconds, turning a close game into a 47-14 rout before an announced 5,329.

• The last time the Bears played at William ‘Dick’ Price Stadium was on Nov. 6, 2010 … Morgan State matched Norfolk State punch for punch, before falling 37-25. Spartan quarterback Chris Walley passed for season highs of 305 yards and four touchdowns and set a single-game school record by completing 20-of-22 passes in the process.

QUICK HITS
•  Travis Davidson currently ranks 2nd in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 851 yards (94.6 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (78 Pts).

•  QB Robert Council completed 14-of-31 passes for 121 yards and ran for 16 yards against Bethune-Cookman.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently ranks T-No. in the MEAC in INTs with four in nine games…he also ranks T-No. 4 in passes defended (10), while his freshman teammate DaShaun Summers leads the league with 1.33 average passes defended.

• Twenty-one (21) Morgan State seniors were honored before the start of last Saturday’s game against B-CU.

•  The Bears continue to be among the top scoring offenses in the league, entering Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 5 ranked scoring offense (23.6 avg/g).

•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 83 tackles so far this season … he recorded a season-high 16 tackles against Delaware State on Oct. 25.

•  Sophomore defensive end Christopher Robinson currently leads the MEAC with seven sacks in just seven games played. He posted seven nine tackles, a forced fumble and a sack against Bethune-Cookman last Saturday.

SPARTANS THUMBNAIL
• The Wildcats enter Week 10 coming off a 33-21 Homecoming victory against Savannah State. The win snapped the Spartans’ 6-game losing streak and marked its first conference win of the season.

• In 2011, Norfolk State finished with a 9-3 overall record and 7-1 in the MEAC and captured the league championship.

• Norfolk State junior quarterback Nico Flores was named the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on Monday. Flores got his first start at quarterback in over a month and helped lead the Spartans to a 33-21 win over Savannah State on Saturday. Flores completed 17-of-28 passes for 213 yards and one touchdown. He also rushed 14 times for a career-high 116 rushing yards. Flores totaled 329 yards of total offense. This is the first weekly MEAC award of Flores’ career.

• Through the first 10 games, WR Xavier Boyce (6-4, 220) and Derrick Demps (5-11, 180) have been two of the  leading receivers in the Spartans  offensive attack. Boyce, a junior from Virginia Beach (Va.), has recorded 54 receptions for 574 yards (10.6 avg), including three TDs. Demps, a Tallahassee (Fla.) product, ranks No. 6 in the MEAC with 39 catches for 645 yards (11.2 avg) with six touchdowns.

• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Spartan linebacker Lynden Trail. The junior currently ranks among the league leaders with 66 tackles (ranks 18th), to go along with 5 sacks (ranks No. 6).

• The Bears’ defensive unit will face a Spartan offensive line that ranks No. 5 in the league in rushing by averaging 139.1 per contest.

• Through 10 games, the Norfolk State defense ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in total defense by limiting opponents to 283.8 yards per contest and ranks No.1  in pass defense (136.0/g) and No. 8 in run defense (147.8/g).

JUICE UPDATE
• Travis Davidson needs to gain 61 rushing yards to surpass Craig Nelson at No. 9 on the school’s all-time rushing list.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
•  The Bears rushing for 100 yards or more for the ninth consecutive game this season.

•  QB Robert Council needs just 63 more passing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season.

•  The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career.  He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record.  Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).

•  Travis Davidson needs just 149 more rushing yards to reach 1,000 yards for the season.

NOVEMBER CHILL
The Bears are 10-19 in November games since the start of the 2002 season.

NEXT UP
After Saturday’s contest at Norfolk State, the Bears will host the Hampton Pirates at Hughes Stadium. The matchup is set for Saturday, November 17. Kickoff at 1 p.m.

BALTIMORE, Md. —  Morgan State men’s basketball team will open the 2012-13 season with a trio of games at the Liberty Tax Classic this Friday-Sunday, Nov. 9-11, in Norfolk, Va. The Bears will face the University of Texas-San Antonio at 5 p.m. on Friday, host Old Dominion at 7:15 p.m. on Saturday and Holy Cross at 4:15 p.m. on Sunday.

Morgan State at Liberty Tax Classic
Game #1 — vs. UTSA •   5 p.m. • Friday, Nov. 9
Game #2 — vs. Old Dominion Manarchs •   7:15 p.m. • Saturday, Nov. 10
Game #3 — vs. Holy Cross Crusdaers •   4:15 p.m. • Sunday, Nov. 11
Ted Constant Convocation Center (8,472) •  Norfolk, Va.
Live Stats: odusports.com

Bear Bits:
• Morgan State will play the University of Texas at San Antonio, Old Dominion and Holy Cross for the first time in school history.

• Morgan State is 2-1 vs. Conference USA opponents. The Bears are 1-1 against East Carolina and defeated Marshall 72-67 during the 2008-09 season in their only match-up.

• Morgan State is 15-19 vs. Colonial Athletic Association opponents.  2-0 vs. Hofstra; 1-8 vs. James Madison; 12-10 vs. Towson; and 0-1 vs. William and Mary.

• Morgan State is 3-3 vs. Patriot League opponents. 3-1 vs. American and 0-2 vs. Navy

• The Bears had 10 games decided by 1-4 points during the 2011-12 season… The Bears held a 1-9 record.

• DeWayne Jackson scored a career-high 33 points against Norfolk State on Jan. 14, 2012.  He added 4 rebounds, 3 assist, 2 blocks and 2 steals.

LAST TIME OUT
Morgan State entered the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament winners of four of their last five games. However, the Bears’ struggles with converting field goals was their undoing this Tuesday afternoon. Hampton found their stride with their three-point shooting and Darrion Pellum stepped up late to help them defeat the Bears 69-65 in the first round action of the MEAC Tournament. The loss ended what was a tough season for head coach Todd Bozeman and his Bears.
“It’s tough to take a loss on the first day. It’s been the most challenging season I’ve ever had in my career,” said Bozeman, whose Bears finished the season 9-20.
MSU was very much in the game despite converting only four of 32 field goals in the first half. It was because of their rebounding, particularly on the offensive end.  The Bears outrebounded Hampton by a 48-35 margin that included 21 offensive boards.
The game was nip and tuck for most of the second half. Kevin Thompson (12 pts, 17 rebs) gave MSU their final lead of the game, 55-54, on a three-point play with 2:40 remaining.
Hampton (11-20) scored the next 10 points and sealed the Bears’ fate. The run started when Jasper Williams, who scored 20 points, hit an off-balanced three-pointer. Williams hurt the Bears from long range, nailing five of seven shots three-pointers. It ended on Darrion Pellum’s four consecutive free throws. The last two with 39 seconds left put the Pirates up to stay at 64-55.
Pellum led everyone with 23 points on the afternoon. But he wasn’t the sole focus for Morgan State defensively according to Bozeman.

MORGAN STATE IN SEASON OPENERS
The Bears are 17-30 in season openers since 1963-64. Todd Bozeman is 2-4 in season openers at Morgan State. The last time the Bears won a season opener was during the 2010-11 campaign when they posted an 81-79 victory at Loyola Marymount.

MORGAN STATE TABBED THIRD IN PRESEASON POLL
Morgan State was picked to finish third in the 2012-13 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men’s basketball preseason poll behind Savannah State and Delaware State.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON SET TO LEAD
DeWayne Jackson is the lone returning senior who saw action for Morgan State last year. In fact, he is just one of two seniors on the Bears roster. After transfer Anthony Hubbard, who transferred to Morgan State from Iowa and sat out the 2011-12 campaign, there are six (6) juniors, four (4)  sophomores and two (2) freshmen on the Bears roster.

RECOVERING THE SWAG
The Bears will look to rebound from last year’s dismal season in which the Bears recorded a 9-20 finish. It marked Todd Bozeman‘s worst season as a head coach, and it was Morgan State’s worst season since going 4-26 in 2005-06.

JACKSON AND CHILES EARN PRESEASON HONORS
Morgan State senior DeWayne Jackson was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team by the conference head coaches and sports information directors. Junior center Ian Chiles was selected to the Second Team.

JACKSON CLIMBING THE MSU RECORD BOOK 
DeWayne Jackson (1,156, 384 rebs., 107 asts) needs just 14 points to supass Billy Newton (1,169 points) to become the school’s No. 16 all-time leading scorer. Jackson is one of three Bears on MSU’s all-time scoring list who have been coached by Todd Bozeman. Kevin Thompson (2009-12) ranks No. 9 (1,487 points) and Reggie Holmes (2007-10) is the school’s all-time scoring leader with 2,051 points.

HOME GROWN
Morgan State has eight players from the Metropolitan-D.C. area, including one from Baltimore. Senior DeWayne Jackson (Bowie High) and sophmore Blake Bozeman (Solebury Prep) are both from Bowie. Transfer guard Daryl Traynham is from Melwood (Wise High), walk-on Daon Riley is from Severn (Old Mill High), and Cedric Blossom is from Columbia (Montrose Christian). Anthony Hubbard is a product of Woodbridge (Va.), while junior Justin Black attended DeMatha High and Donte Pretlow was a standout at Dunbar High in Baltimore.

BOZEMAN WIN PERCENTAGE AT MSU
Todd Bozeman, now in his seventh season as head coach of the Bears, has an overall win percentage of .566 (111-85) after 196 games at Morgan State. That winning mean is the second highest among 15 head coaches in the history of the Morgan State men’s basketball program. Nathaniel Frazier’s winning percentage of .578 (166-121) is the highest percentage in Morgan State history.

UP NEXT
The Bears will travel to face the University of South Carolina at 7 p.m. on  Friday, Nov. 16.

GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-5, 2-3 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup against No. 24 Bethune-Cookman on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET at Hughes Stadium.  The Wildcats enter the 2012 season under the leadership of third-year head coach Brian Jenkins. The Wildcats (6-2, 5-0) are coming off a 42-17 win against North Carolina Central.  The Bears fell short in the final moments against Delaware State 28-23 at Hughes Stadium.

THE BEARS-WILDCATS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Wildcats will meet for the 28th time since 1986. Bethune-Cookman leads the series 18-8.

•  Nov. 5, 2011 – Isidore Jackson rushed for 93 yards and a touchdown, and Jackie Wilson ran for three touchdowns as Bethune-Cookman eased past Morgan State 49-23 before a Homecoming crowd of 9,649 at Municipal Stadium. Wilson finished 10-of-15 for 186 yards for the Wildcats who finished the ballgame with seven rushing touchdowns. Travis Davidson had a 44-yard rushing touchdown and rushed for a game-high 133 yards on 17 carries to lead Morgan State.

• The last time the Wildcats played in Hughes Stadium was on Oct. 2, 2010 … A dominating 69-32 victory over Morgan State extended the Wildcats’ record to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the MEAC. MSU finished the game by committing eight turnovers, four by air (interceptions) and four by ground (fumbles). MSU, held to 247 yards total offense, got touchdowns from Tyrone Hendrix on a 93-yard kickoff return and Nico Scott on a 44-yard interception return and trailed 42-26 at halftime.

QUICK HITS
• Travis Davidson currently ranks 2nd in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 794 yards (113.4 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (72 Pts).

•  QB Robert Council started against Delaware State and completed 13-of-19 passes for 68 yards and scored two touchdowns, including a  41-yard touchdown run.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently leads the MEAC in INTs with four in eight games…he also ranks No. 3 in passes defended (10), while his freshman teammate DaShaun Summers leads the league with 1.33 average passes defended.

• The MSU defense has collected 10 interceptions (ranked No. 3 in MEAC) through the first eight games of 2012.

•  The Bears continue to be among the top scoring offenses in the league, entering Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 4 ranked scoring offense (24.9 avg/g).

•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 76 tackles so far this season. … he recorded a season-high 16 tackles against Delaware State on Oct. 25.

•  Four of the Bears’ losses have been by a total of 10 points – an average of 2.5 points per game.

WILDCATS THUMBNAIL
• The Wildcats enter Week 9 coming off a 42-17 dominant performance against N.C. Central to move into sole possession of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). The win improved the Wildcats to 6-2 overall and 5-0 in conference play.

• In 2011, Bethune-Cookman finished with a 8-3 overall record and 6-2 in the MEAC.

• Bethune’s dual QB threat of Quentin Williams and Brodrick Waters continue to wreak havoc for defenses this season. Williams, a 6-foot, 190-pounder from Tampa (Fla.) has completed 49 of 83 for 655 yards and six touchdowns with an interception. He currenlty ranks No. 2 in pass efficiency (146.8 and No. 8 in passing average (109.2/g). Waters, a 5-11, 195-pounder from Sarasota (Fla.) ranbks No 8 in pass efficiency having completed 26 of 54 passes for 258 yards and four TDs.

• Bethune-Cookman maintained its status as the national leader in turnover margin with its +2.25 per game total.

• Through the first eight games, RB Isidore Jackson (5-10, 205) has been the leading rusher in the Wildcats’ high-octane offense. The junior from Mossey Head (Fla.) has recorded 126 carries for 707 yards (5.6 avg), including seven TDs.  He rushed for 158 yards and two touchdowns against N.C. Central last Saturday.

• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Wildcat’s linebacker Jarkevis Fields. The junior currently ranks among the league leaders with 63 tackles (ranks 12th), to go along with 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack.

• The Bears’ defensive unit will face a Wildcats line that leads the league in rushing by averaging 235.1 per contest.

• Through eight games, the Bethune-Cookman defense ranks 3rd in the MEAC in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 19.9 points per contest and ranks 3rd in total defense (317.8/g).

JUICE UPDATE
• Travis Davidson needs to gain 107 rushing yards to surpass Craig Nelson at No. 9 on the school’s all-time rushing list. “Juice” currently has 1,537 career rushing yards.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK
•  The Bears rushing for 100 yards or more for the ninth consecutive game and for the 15th straight time since their October 8, 2011 game versus Savannah State.

•  The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career.  He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record.  Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).

•  Running back Travis Davidson rushing for 100 yards or more for the eighth time in his career.

SENIOR DAY
Twenty-one (21) Morgan State seniors will be honored before the start of Saturday’s game.

NOVEMBER CHILL
The Bears are 10-18 in November games since the start of the 2002 season and 3-8 at home that month.

NEXT UP
After Saturday’s contest versus Bethune-Cookman, the Bears will hit the road to play against the Spartans of Norfolk State.

NORFOLK, Va. - Savannah State’s Rashad Hassan was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) men’s basketball Preseason Player of the Year, the conference announced on Thursday. The defending MEAC regular season champion Savannah State Tigers were also picked to win the 2012-13 MEAC regular season title. All awards are voted on by the conference’s head men’s basketball coaches and sports information directors.

Hassan led the Tigers in scoring with 13 points per game and started in 32 of 33 games a year ago. He ranked in the top 20 in the nation with a 57.0 field goal percentage.  As a senior Hassan averaged 14.2 points and recorded a 62.3 field goal percentage. The 2011-12 season was highlighted by three double-double performances including 20 points and 14 rebounds against Tennessee.

Savannah State received 24 first place votes and totaled 616 points to take hold of the conference’s top spot. The Tigers finished among the top five in the MEAC in several categories including scoring margin (2^nd), scoring defense (1^st), rebounding margin (1^st), assists (3^rd), steals (5^th), and assist-to-turnover ratio (5^th) a year ago. The Tigers finished the season with a 14-2 mark in MEAC play and 21-12 overall. SSU’s season concluded with a 65-51 loss to Tennessee in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). The team welcomes back all five starters to this year’s campaign.

Delaware State was predicted to finish second with 525 total points. The Hornets finished with a 12-4 mark in the MEAC and 15-14 overall record last season. Morgan State was selected to finish in third while the defending MEAC champion Norfolk State Spartans were predicted to finish in fourth. Hampton was projected to finish fifth with Bethune-Cookman slated to follow at sixth place. North Carolina Central (7th), Howard (8th), North Carolina A&T (9th), Coppin State (10th), Florida A&M (11th), Maryland Eastern Shore (12th), and South Carolina State (13th) round out the 2012-13 preseason poll for the men’s basketball season.

Accompanying Hassan on the Preseason All-MEAC First Team are Tahj Tate (Delaware State), Pendarvis Williams (Norfolk State), DeWayne Jackson (Morgan State), and Ray Willis (North Carolina Central).

The 2012-13 MEAC men’s basketball season tips off on Friday, November 9 with ten MEAC teams in play.

The 2013 MEAC Basketball Tournament is slated for March 11-16 at the Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Va.

GAME TIME
Morgan State (3-4, 2-2 MEAC) continues the 2012 season play in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference matchup against Delaware State on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. ET at Hughes Stadium.  The Hornets enter the 2012 season under the leadership of second-year head coach Kermit Blount. The Hornets (4-2, 3-1) are coming off a 24-0 shutout win at North Carolina A&T.  The Bears fell short in the final moments at Howard 21-20 in Greene Stadium.  This week’s game will be broadcast to a national audience by ESPNU.

THE BEARS-HORNETS MATCHUP 
• The Bears and Bison will meet for the 55th time since 1945. Morgan leads the series 31-23.

• Morgan State did what they had to do on a dreary, windy and rain-soaked day for the Hornet’s Homecoming. They protected a slim lead, played solid defense and ran the ball. Tracy Martin ran for a game-high 154 yards on 38 carries and scored the only points of the game, helping the Bears grind out a 12-0 victory over Delaware State. The Bears played smash-mouth football throughout most of the ballgame and simply dominated the time of possession  (39:53 – 20:07) — recording their first shutout since October 7, 2006.

• The last time the Hornets were in Hughes Stadium was on Oct. 23, 2010 … Redshirt freshman QB Delonte Williams led Morgan State on a comeback drive with under a minute remaining in the game. Williams had three interceptions – two of them returned for touchdowns – and was sacked three times. But he also led the Bears on an 8-play, 85 yard drive and threw a 34 yard touchdown pass to Tyrone Hendrix with 20 seconds on the clock. Sheldon Jacques added a two yard fumble return for a touchdown as the Bears came away with a climatic 34-24 win over the Hornets on Saturday at Hughes Stadium before an announced Homecoming crowd of 14,312 fans.

• The last time Morgan State lost to the Hornets was on Oct. 24, 2009 at Alumni Stadium … Delaware State posted 35 points against MSU, who entered the game as the No. 1 scoring defense in the MEAC, limiting teams to an average of 14 points per game. Anthony Glaud threw two touchdown passes in his return to the lineup and the Hornets intercepted three passes, one returned for a touchdown in a 35-22 victory on Saturday afternoon during DSU’s Homecoming. The loss snapped the Bears’ 5-game winning streak, the school’s longest in 30 years.

• MSU head coach Donald Hill-Eley holds a 6-4 record against Delaware State since 2002.

QUICK HITS
• Travis Davidson currently leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) in rushing with 723 yards (103.3 avg/g). He also ranks No. 1 the MEAC in scoring (72 Pts).

•  QB Robert Council came off the bench against Howard and completed 11-of-20 passes for 131 yards and broke a  35-yard touchdown run.

•  Cornerback Joe Rankin registered his 9th interception of his career, picking off Savannah State quarterback Antonio Bostic in the 1st quarter…He currently leads the MEAC in INTs with four in six games…he currently ranks No. 5 in the FCS in passes defended (6 breakups and 4 INTs).

• The MSU defense has collected 10 interceptions (No. 2 in the MEAC) through the first seven games of 2012.

•  The Bears continue to be among the top scoring offenses in the league, entering Saturday’s contest as the MEAC’s No. 4 ranked scoring offense (25.1 avg/g).

•  True freshman LB Elandon Roberts currently ranks No. 6 in the MEAC in tackles by posting 60 tackles so far this season … he recorded a season-high 14 tackles against N.C A&T and was named Rookie of the Week.

•  Earvin Gonzalez currently ranks No. 1 in the MEAC and tied for No. 9 in the FCS by connecting on 10-of-15 field goals and is a perfect 20-of-20 on PATs and booted a career-high 47-yard field goal against N.C. Central.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR THIS WEEK 
• The Bears posting its third straight victory against the Hornets.

• The Bears scoring 20 or more points against Delaware State for the fifth consecutive game.

• The Bears having a 300-yard passing game for the first time since October 8, 2011. In Week 6, Morgan State defeated Savannah State 44-17 and Seth Higgins, Nate Furrha and Robert Council combined for 16-of-26 passes for 318 yards and five TDs.

• Cornerback Joe Rankin registering an interception would mark his fifth of the season and the 10th of his career. He would need to collect six more to surpass Joe Fowlkes for the school record. Fowlkes posted 15 INTs during his career (1975-78).

• Running back Travis Davidson rushing for 100 yards or more for the eighth time in his career.

• The Bears recording their 11th interception.

• Wide receiver Andrew King registering the third touchdown of his career.

• QB Robert Council has not thrown an interception since a win versus Howard on Sept. 24, 2011 … He completed 12 of 18 passes and was picked off by DL Corey Berry. He’s thrown 110 passes without an interception.

JUICE UPDATE
As a result of his 104-yard performance at Howard, Travis Davidson currently has 1,455 yards and has moved past James Fields for the No. 11 spot on the school’s all-time rushing list. He needs 56 more yards to surpass TJ Stallings (1,510 yds) for the No. 10 spot.

MSU vs. DELAWARE STATE FLASHBACK
• Oct. 25, 2003 – Morgan State head coach Donald Hill-Eley and the Bears defeated the Delaware State 53-36 in a game played at Hughes Stadium. The Bears finished the season with a 6-5 record and won four of its last five games.

DELAWARE STATE THUMBNAILS 
• In 2011, Delaware State finished with a 2-8 overall record and were 1-7 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC).

•  Senior QB Nick Elko leads the Hornets on offense this season. The 6-2, 210-pounder from Odenton (Md.) is the league’s leading passer (ranks No. 22 in FCS). He has completed 146 of 239 for 1,548 yards and seven touchdowns with three interceptions. He has also ranks No. 5 in pass efficiency (122.6).

• Travis Tarpley and Justin Wilson are the primary threats in Delaware State’s aerial attack.  Tarpley, a 5-7 senior from Danville (Va.), currently leads the league with 48 receptions for 585 yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile Wilson, a 6-1, 175 pound senior from Windsor (Conn.) also ranks among the league leaders with 32 receptions for 390 yards and three TDs.

• Through the first seven games, RB Dae-Hon Cheung (5-10, 165) has been the  leading rusher in the Hornets’ pass happy offense. The  freshman from Coatesville (Pa.) has recorded 52 carries for 251 yards (4.7 avg), including a pair of TDs.  He posted 43 yards on 16 carries against North Carolina A&T last Saturday.

• MSU’s offense will have to account for the Hornet’s defensive back Jermond Colston. Colston currently ranks among the league leaders with 64 tackles (ranks T-4th), 2.0 tackles for loss and two interceptions.

• The Bears’ defensive front will face a Hornets line that’s surrendered 3 sacks during its current 3-game winning streak. Nick Elko was sacked once in a 24-0 win over North Carolina A&T on Oct. 20, but the veteran quarterback threw for 245 yards and a TD. Delaware State ranks T-3^rd in the MEAC by limiting opponents to 13 sacks in seven games played.

• Through seven games, the Delaware State defense ranks 2nd in the MEAC in scoring defense by limiting opponents to 18.4 points per contest.

MARYLAND AND DELAWARE TIES
• Senior center Jerry Evans is the only Bear on the Morgan State roster who’s from Delaware. The 6-2, 300-pounder was raised in New Castle and was an All-State lineman at Hodgson Vocational Tech.

WICKED TIMES IN OCTOBER
The Bears are 26-19 in the month of October since the 2002 season and have won 4 of their last 6 October games. The Bears are 12-10 at home and 12-11 on the road during that time in October.

NEXT UP
After Thurday’s contest versus Delaware State, the Bears will play at home against the top-ranked Bethune-Cookman Wildcats. The matchup is set for Saturday, November 3. Kickoff at 1 p.m.