One more win, NSU cinches best season in its history

Norfolk, Virginia -- The Norfolk State football team is not happy with history.

The Spartans clinched a share of their first MEAC championship last weekend, making history in the process, but you'd never have known it. No. 22 Norfolk State didn't rush the field or dump a bucket of Gatorade on head coach Pete Adrian. Norfolk State huddled near its sideline, walked off the field and hopped on a bus.

"I don't know what I expected, but it's the attitude that I hoped they'd have," Adrian said. "We felt like we were the better team and we went in and we did what we were supposed to do."

It's the same mindset the Spartans are taking into today's game at Morgan State. With a win, Norfolk State can polish off its best Division I season in school history, its first playoff bid and win the conference championship outright.

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No. 14 Xavier Hosts Morgan State At Cintas Center On Friday

Xavier University Musketeers (0-0) vs. Morgan State University Bears (0-0)
Regular Season Opener on Fri., Nov. 11 at 7 p.m.
Cintas Center (10,250) in Cincinnati, Ohio
Television: FOX Sports Ohio with play-by-play from Brad Johansen and analysis from former Musketeer captain Steve Wolf (Xavier `83). Jim Day hosts the "Musketeers Live" half-hour pre-game show at 6:30 p.m.
Radio: 700 WLW-AM with play-by-play from XU Hall of Famer and former Musketeer standout Joe Sunderman (`79). Analysis will be provided by Xavier Hall of Famer and XU all-time leading scorer Byron Larkin (`88).

• Xavier will honor Veterans Day by saluting active military members and Veterans by displaying a 40-by-60 foot United States flag during the National Anthem prior to the game. Handling the flag will be members of the Xavier University Army ROTC along with Veterans and active members of the United States Armed Forces.

• Morgan State returns all five starters and 10 letterwinners overall from a team that finished 17-14 overall and 10-6 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season. The Bears of head coach Todd Bozeman are the preseason favorites in the MEAC.

• Xavier, 24-8 overall in the 2010-11 season and Atlantic 10 Conference Regular Season Champion at 15-1, has three starters back from last year's team: seniors Tu Holloway and Kenny Frease and junior Mark Lyons.

• Xavier has won 21 straight regular season openers (20 at home and one on the road) with its last loss in an opener coming in the 1989-90 "Sweet 16" season to Southern Utah State at Cincinnati Gardens (97-90 on December 2, 1989).

• Xavier has won all 11 of its season openers at Cintas Center, including a 68-65 win over Western Michigan last season (11-12-10).

• Xavier opens the regular season with a four-game homestand and home games in seven of its first nine games. After the Morgan State game, XU hosts IPFW on Nov. 15, Miami (Ohio) on Nov. 18 and Georgia on Nov. 25.

• Xavier, ranked 14th in the preseason Associated Press Poll and 15th in the preseason ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, played its one and only public exhibition this past Saturday against defending NCAA Division II National Champion Bellarmine and won 76-73. XU used the closed scrimmage option in October instead of a second exhibition.

• Xavier has high expectations entering the 2011-12 season, including the preseason favorite role in the Atlantic 10. The Xavier program is coming off a sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance and a fifth straight A-10 Regular Season Championship. Xavier finished 24-8 overall and 15-1 in the A-10 last season.

• Xavier returns three starters from last year's team, including senior All-American guard Tu Holloway, although Holloway will sit out the regular season opener.

• Xavier returns two other starters who earned All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors last season, including 7-0 senior center Kenny Frease, a 2010-11 Honorable Mention All-A-10 selection who averaged 11.7 ppg. and 7.1 rpg. as a junior. Another returning starter is 6-1 junior guard Mark Lyons, a 2010-11 Third Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference selection who was second only to Holloway in scoring (13.6 ppg.) and assists (3.1 apg.) on last year's squad. Both Frease and Lyons were named to the 2011-12 preseason A-10 Second Team.

• Xavier made its sixth straight NCAA Tournament appearance in 2011, one of only 12 schools that can say that: Duke, Gonzaga, Kansas, Marquette, Michigan State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, Villanova, Wisconsin and Xavier. Xavier made its 10th NCAA appearance in the last 11 NCAA Tournaments.

• Xavier, 24-8 overall, secured its sixth straight 20-win season and its 14th 20-win season in 15 years.

• Xavier third-year head coach Chris Mack, the 2010-11 Atlantic 10 Conference Coach of the Year, is 50-17 (.746) overall and 29-3 (.906) in Atlantic 10 regular season play.

Next Up
♦ The Morgan State Bears will host the Murray State Racers at Hill Field House, Baltimore, Maryland on Monday, November 14th.

B-CU takes down Morgan State for homecoming win

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Jackie Wilson ran for three touchdowns and passed for 186 yards as Bethune-Cookman treated a near-capacity crowd of 9,649 to a 49-23 homecoming victory over Morgan State today at Municipal Stadium.

Jonathan Moment added two touchdown runs, including a 28-yard scamper that gave the Wildcats a 14-10 halftime lead. The Wildcats turned the game into a rout with three third-quarter touchdowns, including Wilson's 45-yard run with 26 seconds left in the quarter that put B-CU up 35-10.

The Wildcats, 6-3, 4-2 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference, won their fourth consecutive game while knocking Morgan State (5-4, 4-2) out of first place in the MEAC standings. Isidore Jackson led the Wildcats in rushing with 93 yards and added a touchdown run. Moment added 78 yards rushing, while Wilson ran for 74 yards.

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Wilson, Moment combine for 5 touchdowns for happy Bethune-Cookman homecoming

DAYTONA BEACH -- Quarterback Jackie Wilson was nearly beat out for the starting spot last week in practice. Fullback Johnathan Moment was told he'd have a greater role than usual Saturday.

The duo combined for five touchdowns as Bethune-Cookman rolled up 476 yards of offense, including 290 on the ground, to dispatch Morgan State 49-23 Saturday in front of a homecoming crowd of 9,649 at Municipal Stadium.

B-CU's fourth consecutive victory kept alive its slim hopes of claiming a piece of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference title for the second year in a row.

Now the Wildcats (6-3, 4-2 MEAC) will become big Morgan State fans for a week. A victory by the Bears (5-4, 4-2) over Norfolk State next week would force a multiple-team tie for first place with two losses apiece.

Photo Gallery

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B-CU hopes to continue strong running against Morgan State

DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Nothing is more pleasing to an offensive lineman than creating big holes for running backs. Bethune-Cookman senior center Natiel Curry is one happy guy these days. Since gaining a total of just five yards rushing in a loss to North Carolina A&T on Oct. 8, the Wildcats have averaged 332 yards on the ground in their last three games.

"I don't know what was making us stumble at first, but we've caught our rhythm," Curry said. "It seems like we've gone from a spread, passing offense to running the ball down your throat. "Our running plays have been working for us. I just have to credit it to the rest of the O-line and the running backs for finding the holes and making it work."

B-CU (5-3 overall, 3-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) will try to win its fourth straight today in its homecoming game against Morgan State (5-3, 4-1).

"Our guys are just playing hard, playing physical and executing the scheme. Because of that we're seeing good results," B-CU coach Brian Jenkins said. "The A&T game woke us up and got our guys to understand that we're not going to be able to just line up and beat people."



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Scouting report: Morgan State vs. Delaware State

Morgan State (4-3, 3-1 MEAC) vs. Delaware State (2-5, 0-4 MEAC)
Time: 1 p.m.
Radio: 88.9 FM
Series: Morgan leads series 30-23
MSU Gamenotes

What's at stake: Morgan State, which is tied for first place in the MEAC, will face the struggling Hornets on the road as both teams are coming off bye weeks. Before the break, the Bears had won two straight, including a dominant 52-3 victory at North Carolina Central on Oct. 29. Meanwhile, the Hornets have plummeted in the standings. After winning its first two games of the season, Delaware State has lost five straight under first-year coach Kermit Blount. The Bears have not won at Delaware State since 2003, when they claimed a 53-36 victory.

Key matchup: Morgan State running back Travis Davidson rushed for a game-high 142 yards and three touchdowns in the Bears' rout of N.C. Central two weeks ago. The junior leads the team with 455 rushing yards this season and five touchdowns. Running backs have had no problem against the Hornets, who have allowed more than 200 rushing yards per game this season. The Delaware State defense has allowed a MEAC-worst 441 yards per game.

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NCCU takes beating from Morgan State

Durham, North Carolina -- The last time Morgan State visited Durham was Oct. 10, 1981, when the Bears won 35-27. N.C. Central would like to make it another 30 years after Saturday's 52-3 drubbing - its worse home loss since a 67-6 thrashing by Florida A&M in 1951.

All but 10 of Morgan State's points were in the first half.

The Bears have now won five of the last six meetings, including last year's 49-7 victory in Baltimore. The loss is NCCU's fourth straight, but this one, undoubtedly, is the most embarrassing.



"We got our tails whipped," NCCU coach Henry Frazier said. "We committed every penalty there is to commit in football. You name it, we did it."

Morgan State held the Eagles to minus-17 yards rushing, 52 total yards and just three first downs in the first half.

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Morgan State vs. NCCU to Kick-Off at 4 p.m. in Durham

DURHAM, North Carolina -- The Bears will face new conference member North Carolina Central when they hit the gridiron on Saturday (Oct. 15) at O'Kelly Riddick Stadium. The Eagles are coming off of a 49-38 heartbreaking loss at South Carolina State, and will attempt to snap a 3-game losing streak. MSU will try to make it two wins in a row following a 44-17 offensive explosion against Savannah State during last week's Homecoming festivities. Game time at O'Kelly Riddick Stadium is scheduled for 4 p.m. and there will be a live radio broadcast of the game on WEAA, 88.9 FM.



THE BEAR-EAGLES MATCHUP
• The Bears and Tigers will meet for the 36th time in history ... Morgan leads the series 21-12-2.
• During their last matchup, MSU RB Devan James rushed for 114 yards and touchdown and the Bears collected a school record six interceptions, three returned for touchdowns, en route to a 49-7 win over North Carolina Central on Sept, 14, 2008 at Hughes Stadium.
• The last time the two teams met in Durham was on October 10, 1981. MSU defeated the Eagles 35-27 during Thomas Morris' first and only stint as the Bears head coach. The Bears finished the season with a 4-5 record.

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Morgan Bears Crush Savannah State, 44-17, on Homecoming

Baltimore, Maryland -- Morgan State (MSU) saved its best performance so far this season for its Homecoming celebration as the Bears crushed Savannah State (SSU), 44-17, on Oct. 8 at a packed Hughes Stadium in Baltimore, Md.

The Bears poured on the offensive production against Savannah State, posting a season-high 430 yards on the day, mostly gained in the second half of the game. Morgan State led 17-10 at half time, and outscored their opponents 28-7 in the third and fourth quarters.

“We started moving the ball around and everyone just did their job,” said MSU freshman quarterback Seth Higgins. “And that's what the coaches stressed this week.”

Higgins played outstanding in just the second start of his young collegiate career, completing 14-of-24 passes for 239 yards and four touchdowns.

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A&T football: 'Bargain' coach battles history in rebuilding effort

Baltimore, MD - N.C. A&T begins another MEAC football season tomorrow afternoon on the road against Morgan State. Last year’s coach, Alonzo Lee, will work the opposite sideline in Baltimore as the Bears defensive coordinator. Lee was fired last November after a 1-10 season. He was 6-16 in two years with the Aggies.

Rod Broadway was hired a few days after national signing day in February. It was the latest in a line of changes at A&T.



In the late 1990s Edward Fort (18 years on the job) was the chancellor, Bill Hayes (15 years) the football coach and Willie Burden (eight years) the athletics director. Recent history makes the length of their tenures seem like an eternity

In the last 12 years, A&T has gone through five chancellors, five football head coaches and nine athletics directors. And beginning with Hayes’ final season in 2002, the Aggies’ football team has finished with a losing record eight times in the last nine years, going 29-74 (.282 winning percentage). They haven’t won a homecoming game since 2003.

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Scouting report: Towson vs. Morgan State

MORGAN STATE @ TOWSON
Time: 7 p.m.
TV: Comcast SportsNet
Radio: WNST-1570 AM
Series: Towson leads, 16-6

What's at stake: Saturday's season opener will be a game of bragging rights for these two in-state rivals, whose campuses are separated by just five miles. The host in this series has won 15 of the past 22 games, and the Tigers have won 11 of 13 games against Morgan at Johnny Unitas Stadium. Both teams are looking to start the season strong after disappointing 2010 campaigns. The Bears finished 4-7 and had the last-ranked offense in the 117-team Football Championship Subdivision. The Tigers, meanwhile, were 1-10 a year ago, and finished with the No. 109 offense in FCS.

Key matchup: Junior Tremayne Dameron, who has run for 1,065 yards and 13 touchdowns in his career, leads the Tigers rushing attack against a tenacious Morgan State defense. The Bears welcome back Alonzo Lee as their defensive coordinator after he spent the previous two seasons as North Carolina A&T's head coach. Under Lee's defensive direction, Morgan State led ...

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Morgan Bears set for season-operner against Towson Tigers

Baltimore, MD - MSU goes into this year's season-opener game ranked No. 5 in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference preseason poll. The Bears return 65 letterman, including 9 starters on offense and 6 on defense, from last year's squad that posted a 4-7 overall mark and finished the season ranked No. 6 in the MEAC. In 9 years under Hill, the Bears have won 46 games and finished ranked as high as No. 2 in the MEAC (2002). MSU lost four of their last five games, including a tough 21-16 loss to Hampton to cap the 2010 season. Junior Donovan Dickerson was named the starter when the Bears take on the Tigers. The Michigan product last stepped foot onto the field for a game on Oct. 2, 2010, where he completed 8-of-25 passes for 74 yards in a loss against Bethune-Cookman. Since that time, Dickerson has spent time during the offseason earning his way back to the starting quarterback position.

Other offensive standouts for the Bears include WR Winfred Diggs (29 rec., 322 yards, TD in 2010), Chuka Okakpu (28 rec., 325 yards, 4 TDs) and RB David Brown (439 rushing yard, 2 TDs in 2010). Defensively, DT Zary Stewart (40 tackles, 8 TFL, 2 sacks), LB Allen Stephens (65 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss) and S Reshaude Miller (67 tackles, 4 INTs) headline a group that ranked No. 6 in the MEAC in scoring offense (18.8/g) and No. 7 in total defense (335.0/g). MSU's offense will be directed by William 'B.T.' Sherman and Joseph Wright, along and head coach Donald Hill-Eley. Donald Hill-Eley added Alonzo Lee as his defensive coordinator (Lee returns after a brief head coaching stint at A&T).



MSU Gamenotes
GAME #1
Saturday, September 3, 2011 • 7:00 p.m.
Johnny Unitas Stadium (Capacity 11,198) • Towson, Md.
RADIO: Morgan State Radio Network WEAA - 88.9 FM: Lamont Germany (play-by-play) & Kelvin Bridgers (color).
INTERNET: www.MorganStateBears.com ; www.Towsontigers.com
INTERNET COVERAGE: Click here  -- Listen Live
TICKETS: Individual tickets to the Morgan State football game at Towson (Sept. 3) are now on sale. Fans may purchase tickets at the Towson University box office. Or call 410-704-5192.

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By MSU Media Relations

Morgan's Bozeman: Show-cause 'had a great effect on my life'

Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman had to wait 10 years before landing another head coaching opportunity after receiving an eight-year show-cause sanction from the NCAA for paying a recruit's family as head coach of the University of California.  Former Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl received a three-year show-cause from the NCAA last week.

Baltimore, MD - In the spring of 2006, Todd Bozeman escaped the purgatory of the NCAA’s show-cause sanction. For 10 years, the prodigy-turned-castaway languished like a ghost ship. He was little more than a bar stool trivia question.

“Who was the coach of California when Jason Kidd led the team to a win over Duke in the ‘93 NCAA tournament?”

Bozeman was reborn five years ago when a little-known historically black college in northeast Baltimore tabbed him as its head coach. Morgan State University, a MEAC school with no discernible basketball history, took a flier on a washed-up cheater who sunk his own career before turning 35. That, at least, was the perception back then.

All these years later, Bozeman is still a trivia question, of sorts.

“Who is the only head coach in Division I basketball history to receive a show-cause penalty and ultimately land another head coaching gig?”

Hint: it’s not Clem Haskins or Kelvin Sampson or Dave Bliss. The answer is, indeed, Todd Bozeman.

Now, the entire state of Tennessee - and the college basketball world as a whole – wonder if ...

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Morgan State -Towson Opener To Be Televised

Baltimore, MD - The season-opening football game between local rivals Towson University and Morgan State University, scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 3 at Minnegan Field at Johnny Unitas Stadium, will be televised by Comcast SportsNet. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

"We are excited to return to Johnny Unitas Stadium to open the season and rekindle a local rivalry," said Floyd Kerr, Morgan State Director of Athletics.

"With Comcast SportsNet broadcasting our games, this gives the two schools another avenue to promote our institutions and their programs," said MSU head coach Donald Hill-Eley. "It's exciting that this year's game will be televised and we're hoping that MSU fans will still come out and support us at the game."

Calling the game will be Comcast SportsNet anchor/reporter and Towson graduate Brent Harris, '95 and former Baltimore Ravens Super Bowl Champion linebacker and Comcast SportsNet football analyst Brad Jackson.

The Tigers and the Bears will be meeting for the 23rd time in a series that started in 1979. Although the Tigers own a 16-6 series lead, Morgan State won the most recent meeting in 2009.

Towson and Morgan State have met in the season opener eight times since 1979. Each team has won four times when they are matched up in the season opener. Towson has won four of the six season openers that have been played at Unitas Stadium.

The MSU Athletics Ticket Office is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are also available at all Ticketmaster locations and via www.ticketmaster.com.

By Morgan State University Media Relations
VISIT: MORGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
VISIT: MORGANSTATEBEARS

Joyner returns home to realize dream, coaches Hampton Pirates to NCAA tournament

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — They'll have a few more stories and another piece of hardware to talk about at the next Joyner family reunion, courtesy of what just occurred at the last one.

The Joyner basketball coaching tree — Edward "Buck" Joyner Sr., Stephen Joyner and his son, Little Steve — as well as assorted grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins ventured across town Saturday afternoon to Joel Coliseum to watch Ed Joyner Jr. realize a lifelong dream.

The man known to family members as "Little Buck" coaxed and encouraged and orchestrated Hampton University's men to their first MEAC tournament title since 2006.

Hampton Holds Back Morgan, Captures MEAC Title, 60-55

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The great shooting that Morgan State displayed in the past two MEAC tournament games came to a screeching halt in the second half. Hampton got some timely baskets from Darrion Pellum to help the Pirates beat the Bears 60-55 in the MEAC Tournament Championship game at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The fact that MSU center Kevin Thompson got into foul trouble was a huge factor in how the game went. Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman said about the situation, “We need him on the floor, that's obvious. He fought hard in there, it's hard when you're at the disadvantage.”

“It was a war,” Hampton head coach Ed Joyner said. “It was what we expected, it's the one we wanted to win.”

PIRATES DEFEAT MORGAN STATE TO CLAIM 2011 MEAC BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT TITLE

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Brandon Tunnell scored 12 of his career-high 20 points in the second half and Darrion Pellum added all 12 of his after intermission to help Hampton defeat Morgan State, 60-55 in the MEAC Tournament Championship at the Joel Coliseum.

“It was a war,” Hampton head coach Ed Joyner said. “It was what we expected; it’s the one we wanted to win.”

The Pirates (24-8) denied the Bears their fourth consecutive tournament title and Joyner obtained his first ever as a head coach. The win also secured Hampton an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. Hampton will learn when and where they will compete in the NCAA tournament once the pairings are announced on Sunday.

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North Carolina A&T Beats Morgan State In MEAC Conference Matchup

Greensboro, N.C. - Thomas Coleman scored 21 points and Marc Hill sank six free throws in the final minute as North Carolina A&T beat Morgan State 68-60 Monday night.

The victory by the Aggies (15-15, 9-6 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) ended a three-year reign by the Bears (15-12, 10-5) as conference regular-season champions, giving Bethune-Cookman the No. 1 tournament seed.

North Carolina A&T led 46-34, in the second half, but after Morgan State cut it to six points, 60-54, Hill missed two free throws for the Aggies. A 3-pointer by the Bears' Aric Brooks made it 60-57 with 1:39 left.

Coleman has A&T cooking

GREENSBORO — Before stepping onto the Corbett Center floor for the last time, Thomas Coleman sat an extra minute at his locker. As the N.C. A&T center paused to reflect, soon the only two people who remained were the senior and the coach who recruited him.

Coleman finally broke the silence. "He said, 'Coach, I remember you sitting at my kitchen table,' " A&T coach Jerry Eaves said, referencing Coleman's recruitment. "We both just kind of looked at each other and laughed."

Aggies Lose Battle For No. 2

GREENSBORO - No matter what problem the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team presented to Morgan State Monday evening, the Bears had the same two solutions throughout. Morgan State frustrated the Aggies with efficiency from the free throw line and 3-point arc. As a result, the Bears won the battle for the No. 2 seed in the MEAC Tournament with a 74-69 win at Corbett Sports Center.

The Bears hit 11 3-pointers and made 23 of 25 free throws. Erin Hawkins led the way with 17 points on 5-for-10 shooting from 3-point range. Brittany Dodson added 15 points on 9-for-10 shooting at the line.

In her final game at Corbett Sports Center, senior Jaleesa Sams finished with 23 points and six rebounds.

"Morgan State did what they're supposed to do, they hit 3-pointers and hit free throws," said N.C. A&T head coach Patricia Cage-Bibbs. "They executed brilliantly tonight."

The Aggies trailed by as many as 14 in the second half. But a Sams 3-pointer tied the game at 56 with 4:20 remaining. The Bears responded by going on a 9-2 run that included a 6-for-6 stretch at the free throw line and a 3-point shot by Brittany Noel that gave the Bears a 65-58 lead with 1:26 to play.

N.C. A&T got the lead down to three points four times within the last 40 seconds of the game. But the Bears converted 7 of 8 free throws to put the Aggies away.

The Bears (16-12, 10-5) secured the No. 2 seed with the win. The loss for the Aggies (14-13, 9-6) was costly. They slip into a third-place tie with Howard. The two teams split this season, but Howard owns the tiebreaker over the Aggies because its margin of victory was greater. Therefore, the Aggies need a Howard loss to secure the third seed.

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O'Quinn's double-double sparks NSU's upset of Morgan

NORFOLK - Norfolk State has become the enigma of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Behind a 23-point, 18-rebound effort from center Kyle O'Quinn, the Spartans beat defending MEAC champion Morgan State 69-63 Saturday night at Echols Hall.

The Bears (15-11, 10-4) had rolled into Echols Hall tied for first in the MEAC in the loss column with Bethune-Cookman. But for the second time this season, they walked off the court victims of O'Quinn and a Norfolk State team that's hard to figure. Norfolk State had lost five of its previous six, but was far and away the best team on the court Saturday.

And O'Quinn was far and away the best player.



Norfolk State Upsets Lady Bears, 66-65

NORFOLK, Va. - On a day which Norfolk State honored all of its past championship teams on Alumni Day, and held its ring ceremony for its 2009-10 women's and men's cross country, indoor and outdoor championship teams, the Spartans women's basketball team played like champions as well this afternoon.

Rae Corbo scored a team-high 20 points, including four three-pointers and Rachel Gordon grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds to go with her nine points to lead Norfolk State to a 66-65 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) victory over visiting Morgan State on Saturday afternoon at Echols Hall.



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Keydets Drop BracketBusters Game to Morgan State

BALTIMORE, Md. - The Morgan State Bears held the VMI Keydets to 27 second half points, en route to a 67-62 win in the Sears ESPN BracketBusters game between the teams, played Saturday afternoon at Hille Field House in Baltimore, Md.

Morgan State (13-10) hit six straight free throws over the last 22 seconds of regulation to quell a VMI rally and extend the Bears win streak to three games. The Keydets saw their three-game win streak snapped and fell to 15-12 in the non-conference game.

VMI was led in scoring by senior guard Austin Kenon, who toiled through a 6-for-20 shooting afternoon but hit a trio of 3-pointers to finish with 18 points. Junior guard Keith Gabriel added 15 points, including 11 before intermission after nailing three 3-pointers in the first half. Freshman center D.J. Covington posted his third consecutive double figures scoring game with 10 points and led VMI with eight rebounds.

The Keydets didn't find an answer for Bears 6-9 power forward Kevin Thompson who hit all nine of his shot attempts from the floor to finish with a team-high 18 points. Center Rodney Stokes scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds while sophomore forward Dewayne Jackson added 10 points. MSU junior forward Aric Brooks hit just 1-of-9 from the field, but converted seven of nine-from-the line including four straight in the waning seconds of regulation to preserve the win for the Bears.

VMI dropped only its second game in 15 outings when it held a lead at halftime.

The Keydets shot 44% in the first half but cooled down to 31% from the floor in the second half.

VMI trailed by as many as seven points in the first half (27-20) after Thompson hit a layup with 7:41 left in the opening half. VMI answered with an 11-2 run and jumped out on top when Gabriel canned back-to-back 3-pointers including a swisher with 2:02 to play before halftime.

Box Score

VMI led 35-34 at the break and pushed the lead to four points (40-36) following a pair of Austin Kenon free throws at the 16:46 mark.

The Bears used a string inside game to retake the lead with nine unanswered points as guard Larry Bastfield both started and sandwiched the string with a free throw and a layup to put Morgan State back on top. Thompson's back-to-back layups during the spurt put the Bears up for good and the hosts led 45-40 with 13:49 remaining.

VMI never retook the lead, but never trailed by more than seven points the rest of the way. Bastfiled nailed a jumper to push Morgan State ahead 61-54 with 4:19 left, but the Keydets twice cut the deficit to a one-possession scenario just under the three-minute mark. Stan Okoye hit a layup at the 2:37 mark to pull VMI within 61-58 and the Keydet defense generated stops on MSU's next three trips down the floor.

VMI could not capitalize, however, and missed back-to-back 3-point tries by Gabriel and Kenon converted one of two free throws by Covington to close within a pair, 61-59, with :24 left. The Bears then put the game away at the line with their string of six straight charity tosses and spoil VMI's debut in the BracketBusters event.

VMI returns to Big South play next Thursday at Clinton, South Carolina as it faces Presbyterian College at 7:00 p.m.

VMI HEAD COACH DUGGAR BAUCOM - "The guys fought hard and I was proud of them. They really competed. Morgan State made some plays down the end and he (Thompson) was virtually unstoppable. We had some open looks at the end and if we make those shots, it's a different outcome."

"We stopped making shots in the second half that we made in the first. It was a dogfight the entire second half. They made some 18-footers that you want them to shoot and made their free throws down the stretch when we chose to foul."

"The best thing about this is we didn't get anyone hurt. I told our guys it's time to move on and get ready for next week."

Courtesy: VMIKeydets.com             Release: 02/19/2011

Bracketbuster: Morgan State Ready To Shine In ESPN Spotlight

Morgan State and the Virginia Military Institute will play each other in men's basketball Feb. 19 for the first time as part of ESPN's Bracketbuster weekend.

The Bears (12-10, 8-3 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) are returning to Hill Field House after a two-game road trip in which they beat Bethune-Cookman and South Carolina State. It is Morgan State's third appearance in ESPN Bracketbusters.

The Keydets (15-11, 8-8 Big South) have won three games in a row, most recently topping Liberty, 79-69, at home. VMI has a 7-3 record in nonconference matchups this season -- 1-2 in away games. Morgan State is 4-7 in its nonconference games, with a 2-1 home record.

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Videographer: UrbanSportsITG

Florida A&M defeats Morgan State 63-59

Rattlers dominant at home against Morgan State

They haven't won a game on the road all season, but that might be just fine with coach Eugene Harris for right now. His Florida A&M men's basketball team is making gains when it plays at home.  For the second consecutive game at the Lawson Center, the Rattlers knocked off one of the powers of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference by downing defending conference champion Morgan State University 63-59 Saturday night.

The win gave the Rattlers (8-18, 3-6) an 8-1 record at home and snapped a two-game losing streak, while preventing the Bears (10-10, 6-3) from creating a logjam at the top of the conference standings. The display that the Rattlers put on was the result of having the entire roster back after injuries had depleted the team, Harris said.


Videographer: RattlerBoosters

Women's Basketball Needs Overtime to Silence Lady Rattlers, 63-54

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.- Moneshia Davis came off the bench and scored a game-high tying 15 points and Brittany Dodson added 13 points to lead Morgan State to a 63-54 overtime victory over host Florida A&M in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) game on Saturday evening at the Al Lawson Center. The win was the Lady Bears' sixth straight over the Lady Rattlers and just the ninth win in the series' 40 meetings.

Morgan State's Theresa Davis also came off the bench and fell shy of a double-double with a team-high nine rebounds and 10 points to help Morgan State to a 40-10 advantage over FAMU in bench scoring.

Shooting woes keep Rattlers under wraps

The Florida A&M women’s basketball team shot poorly in the first half, picked it up in the second, but reverted to its bad ways in overtime in losing Saturday night at the Lawson Center.

The Rattlers' two leading scorers Antonia Bennett and Tameka McKelton struggled and the team's inefficiency at the free-throw line added up to a 63-54 loss to Morgan State University. It was a loss that could haunt the Rattlers as they head into the final weeks of the regular seasons.

FAMU (10-11, 5-4) fell to a fourth-place tie with North Carolina A&T.

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Jackson lifts Morgan Bears to win over N.C. A&T, 68-66

BALTIMORE, Md. -- DeWayne Jackson scored 18 points, including the game-winning free throws with 15.5 seconds left, as Morgan State edged North Carolina A&T 68-66 Monday night.

“We are very, very fortunate, there's no doubt about it,” said Morgan State head coach Todd Bozeman about the game's finish. “Sometimes you got to have that type of game, but I'll take the win, because every win in Division I is not easy.”

The Bears (10-9, 6-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference) also got a season-high 15 points from Larry Bastfield and 10 apiece from Ameer Ali and Aric Brooks.

Thomas Coleman had 20 points and 11 rebounds for the Aggies (9-13, 4-4), but also committed...


Videographer: pvimaging; Morgan State University Choir - "The Battle of Jericho"

MSU Beats Aggies On Late-Second Shot

BALTIMORE - One last second shot deserves another. Two days after beating Coppin State on a last-second shot, the North Carolina A&T women's basketball team was defeated in the late seconds on Monday as Morgan State came away with a 51-49 win at Hill Field House.

Brittany Dodson's jumper with 1.2 seconds remaining broke the sixth time of the game to give the Bears the win. Three minutes earlier, Tracy King connected on a 3-pointer to give N.C. A&T a 47-45 lead.

Kyla Rollins tied the game on two free throws. The two teams swapped turnovers. The Aggies had a chance to take the lead, but Jaleesa Sams' jumper bounced off the rim and into the hands of Theresa Davis, who was fouled by Nikia Gorham.

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