DSU stifles Bears, but still falls short

Photo: DSU's Sophomore center Frisco Sandidge finished with a career and game-high 19 points/11 rebounds.

Morgan State clinches share of MEAC title

DOVER -- It probably was midweek when it occurred to Delaware State men's basketball coach Greg Jackson how his team might beat its next opponent, Morgan State. He had to contend with one of the highest-scoring teams in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Jackson also had a feeling he'd be without DSU's leading scorer, senior Roy Bright.

It meant that Jackson would have to emphasize his possession-style offense even more than usual. And in one of the lowest-scoring games in his eight-year tenure as coach, a 39-36 loss to Morgan State at Memorial Hall on Saturday, his method nearly worked.

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Morgan State ambush Hampton in O.T.

Photo: Morgan State's Boubacar Coly had an awesome game scoring 18 points, 15 boards, 6 blocks, 1 steal and 3 assists. The 6-9/220 senior forward is from Ziguinchor, Senegal/Laurinburg Institute (N.C.) and had his 11th career double/double in leading the Bears.


Boubacar Coly scored 18 points and grabbed 15 rebounds as Morgan State hung on for a 66-62 overtime victory against visiting Hampton on Monday. Hampton took its first lead of the game 8 seconds into overtime on a 3-pointer by Matthew Pilgrim.

But Jerrell Green scored nine of his 13 points in the extra session and Morgan State made five free throws in the final 47 seconds. Green added five assists, while Marquise Kately finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for Morgan State (18-9, 12-2 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference).

Hampton (15-11, 8-5) scored eight of the first 11 points of the second half...

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MSU Bears can benefit from Norfolk State loss

Photo: Morgan State University head basketball coach Todd Bozeman

BALTIMORE - Morgan State received a gift Saturday when South Carolina State upset Norfolk State, enabling the Bears to move into sole possession of first place in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference following their 64-59 victory against Howard.

But now, Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman hopes his team isn’t in a giving mood. The Bears have three games remaining and one loss —beginning with tonight’s game at 7:30 against Hampton at Hill Field House — gives Norfolk State the opportunity to regain the inside track for the regular season title.

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Three Baltimore teams could be tournament-bound

Photo: Coach Todd Bozeman has built the Bears into a NCAA Tournament contender in two seasons as head of the Morgan State program.

UMBC, Morgan State and Loyola in the hunt as season winds down

In a perfect storm of opportunity, chemistry and ambitious coaching, three NCAA, Division I college basketball teams from Baltimore have raised the roof on expectations this season. As the college basketball season careens down the stretch, it's worth noting that Baltimore rarely has one team in contention for an NCAA berth. This season, it could hit the trifecta. Who would've imagined that?

On the east side of town, coach Todd Bozeman's cultural revolution has lifted Morgan State from the dregs of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference to a first-place tie with Norfolk State. The chances of a historic first NCAA Division I berth are not lost on the Bears. What were the odds that Bozeman could elevate the program at Morgan State in just two years? The MEAC is among the lower ranked conferences in Division I, but the Bears are not the product of a weak conference. With Marquise Kately, Boubacar Coly and Jerrell Green, they have the look of a legitimate tournament team.

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Bethune Cookman Lady Wildcats blow lead, lose to Morgan State in OT

Photo: Sophomore, Corin Adams made 10 of 13 free throws and scored 19 points to lead Morgan State to victory. The 5-7 point guard is from Madison H.S., Brooklyn, NY.

DAYTONA BEACH -- Bethune-Cookman hit just one field goal in the final 10 minutes of regulation and blew a 15-point lead as Morgan State defeated the struggling Wildcats 55-50 in overtime Monday at the Ocean Center.

Corin Adams' drive with 3:40 left gave the Bears their first lead of the game at 42-40. But freshman Jalisa Isaac of New Smyrna Beach swished a 3-pointer from the corner with 21 seconds to play to put B-CU up 44-42. That was the 'Cats' first field goal since 10:29 when Euneshia Proctor's layup gave B-CU a 39-24 advantage.

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Morgan State's Hill-Eley talks Bears football recruiting class

Photo: Morgan State University head football coach Donald Hill-Eley.

Signing Day earlier this month was a fruitful one for Morgan State head coach Donald Hill-Eley. The Bears signed 23 players to its 2008 recruiting class, including four transfers from DI programs. Hill-Eley was kind enough to answer questions about MSU's recruiting class last week.

From the looks of your class on paper, it appears defense -- and linebacker in particular -- were heavy areas of emphasis. Do you feel you adequately addressed those needs?

Hill-Eley: Yes, we needed to beef up at the linebacker spot as well as the defensive line. I think we got some impressive young men where in the past we had to take freshmen and sit them out a year of two to get them up to playing level. But we’ve got a group of young men who can come in and at least help us out on special teams. Because of the program and the continuity, we’ve been able to recruit a little bit better athletes every year. Every year it’s gotten better with the quality of the athletes. We’ve gone from no-star kids to two- and three-star kids. So it’s putting us in the game that we’re getting more of the first-tier than second-tier players.

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Morgan's New Day

Photo: Boubacar Coly had been named Defender of the Week in the MEAC for six consecutive weeks.

Morgan State basketball coach Todd Bozeman admits he is a staunch advocate of the power of positive thinking and the man-to-man defense. Those two components have helped pave the way for the Bears' scintillating run to the top of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference standings.

It also helps to have a shot-blocking, rebounding machine named Boubacar Coly prowling the back line.

"I believe you can have success if you put your mind to it," said Bozeman, who in only his second season has Morgan rolling along at a 15-8 (10-1 MEAC) clip that has generated enthusiasm not seen on Hillen Road in many a year.

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The Bears have not had a big man of Coly's considerable talent since the legendary Marvin "The Human Eraser" Webster, a 7-1/225 center who posted unbelievable statistics at Morgan. In 1975, Webster averaged a double double with 17.5 points and an astounding 19.9 rebounds per contest. The former Baltimore’s Edmondson High School star was known for his incredible blocking ability and instinct.

Webster was blocking shots before they became an NCAA recorded statistic. His 1974 Bears squad won the NCAA College Division National Championship. How many of you remembered that Morgan State University accomplishment?

Webster was named the Associated Press National College Division Player of the Year in 1976. He was the second player drafted in the 1975-76 American Basketball Association (ABA) draft, before the league was merged with the NBA, by the Denver Nuggets. He had a noteworthy 10 year NBA career and still holds the Seattle Supersonics record with 21 rebounds in a half. Webster also played in the NBA Championship series with the Settle Supersonics against the Baltimore Bullets, i.e., Washington Wizzards.

The Bullets won the 1978 NBA Championship over Webster's team in game seven for the Bullets first NBA championship.

Like Webster, Coly is averaging nearly double/double with 10.5 rebounds per game, 9.5points and 2.5 blocks per game. He has already earned his Bachelor's degree in International Business prior to transferring to Morgan State from Xavier University. Coly should have his Master's completed prior to being drafted/signed by the NBA as he is extremely smart and a tremendous hard worker on both the court and the classroom.

Coach Bozeman and Morgan State will surprise a few teams when they face the Bears in the NCAA Tournament as Coly is a superior defender. It's taken three decades, but the Bears are once again a powerhouse in the East. Be aware of the Bears!

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Holmes' threes key Morgan State over S.C. State

Photo: Reggie Holmes, 6-4/180 Sophomore guard, St. Frances H.S., Baltimore, Maryland, majoring in Business.

Guard hits 7 to tie school record; Bears win 8th straight

Morgan State guard Reggie Holmes took an aggressive approach in trying to break a recent shooting slump. The sophomore began taking 300 shots on his own after practice the past several days while searching for his outside touch.

The work paid off last night. Holmes tied a school record by making seven three-point shots en route to a 25-point performance that helped Morgan State to an 81-55 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference win over South Carolina State before an announced 2,246 at Hill Field House.

Morgan State (15-8, 10-1) extended its winning streak to eight games and remained in first place in the MEAC.

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Not an average 'Morgan State' Bear

Photo: Though his family in Senegal wanted him to pursue soccer, Boubacar Coly came to the United States to develop as a basketball player. He had to come back from three surgeries to return to the court in college.

Drive has carried Morgan's Coly on long journey

He devoted much of his childhood in Africa either to playing sports or watching television, but Boubacar Coly can speak eight languages with ease. He is Muslim by faith but attended Catholic schools much of his life and even a Catholic university for a time. He grew up on a continent where soccer is king, but his heart led him to basketball and the United States.

Incongruous as those facts seem, they are mere snapshots of a young man who forged a life in the United States when everyone back in Ziguinchor, Senegal, told him not to leave seven years ago.

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Surging Morgan State Bears too much for Delaware State Hornets

Photo: Todd Bozeman, second-year head basketball coach has Morgan State University on top of MEAC standings.

BALTIMORE, MD -- The experts said it wouldn't take Todd Bozeman long to figure out the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. How does two seasons sound? Bozeman's Morgan State men's basketball team maintained its lead in the MEAC on Monday, beating three-time defending regular-season champion Delaware State 64-59 in a wild game at Hill Field House.

The Bears (13-8 overall, 8-1 MEAC) kept their unbeaten record at Hill (7-0) intact. "It was a grind-out win," Bozeman said. "It was a conference win; that's what's most important."

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Attendance was 3409 for this matchup.

Thompson's bucket helps DSU women rally over Morgan State

Photo: Ashley Thompson pulled down 8 rebounds and scored 4 points in the Lady Hornets win over Morgan State. The 6-0 Sophomore forward is from Southern Maryland's McDonough HS, La Plata, MD.

BALTIMORE -- The first-half statistics for Delaware State's Ashley Thompson were less than stellar Monday night. Two shots from the field. One point. Ouch. Thompson's second-half numbers weren't spectacular, either, but she redeemed herself in the nick of time.

Playing for injured senior Katreem Palmer, Thompson scored the tying bucket with less than a minute to play to help the Hornets women's basketball team to a 52-49 victory over Morgan State in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference game at Hill Field House.

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Morgan State Bears claw way to top of MEAC

Photo: MSU guard Jamar Smith #34 is leading the Bears in scoring averaging 18.2 ppg. The 6-2/210 senior is from Brooklyn Park, Minnesota and played at San Bernadino Valley College/Patrick Henry H.S.

BALTIMORE, MD - Morgan State’s men’s basketball team, just two years removed from a four-win season, has won five straight games to ascend to the top the Mid-Eastern Atlantic Conference. The Bears are off to their best start in 29 years and have a chance to qualify for a postseason tournament for the first time as Division I school, yet Coach Todd Bozeman is quick to put it all in perspective.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he said. “We play Delaware State [today].” The Bears (12-8, 7-1 MEAC) cannot afford to look ahead. After all, opponents will not be looking past them. “When you have that bull’s eye on your back,” Bozeman said, “everybody’s gonna get up for you.”

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UMES Lady Hawks sinks Morgan State from long range

Tiffany Reid leads all scorers with career-high 24 points.

BALTIMORE, Md. - The University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) Lady Hawks capitalized on an impressive shooting effort in route to a 95-80 win over Morgan State University (MSU) on Saturday afternoon in the Hill Field House. UMES (11-8, 4-2 MEAC) connected on 32-of-59 (54.2 percent) from the field and 13-of-21 (61.9 percent) from downtown in the game, while limiting the Bears to just three-of-18 (16.7 percent) from beyond the arc.

"I thought we shot the ball extremely well and it helped open up the entire floor for our team," said Head Coach Fred Batchelor. "Coming in we knew this was an important game and it was a total team effort in the win."

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Morgan State pulls away in second half from UMES

Photo: Forward Boubacar Coly had 15 points, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots in his outing with UMES. The 6-9/220 senior is from Ziguinchor, Senegal, Laurinburg Institute.

Senior guard Jamar Smith scored 18 points, and three Bears posted double doubles in a 67-52 victory that didn't satisfy coach Todd Bozeman. The lead changed hands eight times in the first half, and there were three ties before senior center Boubacar Coly scored inside with 2:51 left to put Morgan ahead 32-30. Junior forward Marquise Kately added a free throw before the buzzer.

That was ugly," Bozeman said. "We didn't play well at all, but the hard part is, when you're trying to change a [losing] culture and you've got a bull's eye on your back, everybody is coming after you." The Bears (12-8, 7-1) are off to their best start since the 1978-79 season, when they were 18-12. They've won five straight games and are 6-0 at home.

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MSU Coach Todd Bozeman featured in latest "ESPN The Magazine"

Photo: Coach Todd Bozeman (in black shirt).

BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State men’s basketball coach Todd Bozeman is featured in the recent (Jan. 28th) issue of ESPN The Magazine in an article by Jerry Bembry entitled “Older and Wiser.” The article talks about Bozeman’s coaching success at the University of California and his excitement about building something special at Morgan State from the ground up.

Bozeman's Morgan State Bears are currently leading the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with a 6-1 conference record, 11-8 overall, ahead of Hampton University (5-1, 11-7), Norfolk State University (5-1, 9-9) and North Carolina A&T State University (4-2, 10-9).

Morgan State holds off BCU Wildcats

Photo: Senior Dewayne Pettus, 6-2/175 guard from Pittsburgh, Pa. (Perry Traditional Academy).

Baltimore, Md. - Despite a valiant effort in the second half, Bethune-Cookman University was unable to come back from a large halftime deficit as they fell to home standing Morgan State University, 59-50 in a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference men's basketball affair at Hill Field House in Baltimore, Md. on Monday night.

Being stuck on six (6) points for until 3:47 left in the opening half will doom any team--whether it be grade school through the professional ranks. That's exactly what doomed the Wildcats of Bethune-Cookman (7-11, 2-3 MEAC) on Monday night as they were just unable to find the inside of the basket in the opening stanza.

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MSU Chad Simpson gets invite to NFL Combine

Slide Show: MSU All-American RB Chad Simpson - 2007

BALTIMORE, Md. – Morgan State University senior All-American running back Chad Simpson has earned the chance to increase his NFL draft possibilities in the coming months. Simpson has been invited to the 2008 NFL Draft Combine.

Simpson becomes the first Bear to earn a spot in the NFL Combine since current Minnesota Viking tight end Visanthe Shiancoe in 2003. Shiancoe was a 3rd round selection by the New York Giants.

Simpson, a first-team Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference selection, was named MEAC Player of the Year after breaking Morgan State’s single season record for rushing yards. He became Morgan State’s third MEAC MVP in 28 years (Darrell Coulter, 1979), and the second in four years (Bradshaw Littlejohn, 2003) after running for 1,402 yards.

The Miami native also became the ninth All-American selection at Morgan State and the first in almost 15 years (Matthew Steeple, 1993) when he was selected to the American Football Coaches Association Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team.

Simpson has also been named to the inaugural Boxtorow/BASN Black College All-American Team and was selected as an honorable mention to The Sports Network’s FCS All-America Team.

Nearly 300 of the top college football players are invited annually to participate in the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, set for February 20-26. Top Executives, Coaching Staffs, Player Personnel Departments and Medical Personnel from all 32 NFL teams will be on hand to evaluate the eligible players for the upcoming NFL Draft.

-from Morgan State Sports Information

Editor's note: Chad Simpson led the MEAC in rushing in 2007 with 1402 yards on 276 carries at 5.1 yards per carry; 14 touchdowns, 127.5 yards per game, with longest run of 56 yards. He also finished in second place in all-purpose yards to MEAC leader--Florida A&M sensational freshman RB Philip Sylvester, with a total of 1778 yards for a per game average of 161.6.

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Lafayette Leopards pounce on Morgan State Bears

EASTON, Pa. - Junior Cristin Zavocki made Lafayette history with eight three-pointers in the Leopards' 83-62 rout of Morgan State on Wednesday night. The eight three-pointers were the most scored by a Lafayette women's basketball player in program history while her 26 total points were a career-high.

Morgan State responded by scoring 12 unanswered points to cut the lead to 12 (63-51) with 8:23 on the clock. Zavocki responded by scoring five straight points and the lead stood at 18 (74-56) after yet another Zavocki three-pointer with 4:40 remaining.

The Lady Bears found themselves trailing by 20 (80-60) after a LaKeisha Wright jumper with under three minutes to play. The Leopards took a game-high 21-point lead after a free throw by sophomore Amanda Leone and went on to the 83-62 win.

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The Lady Bears are now 6-5 on the season.

Kately making bear tracks from California to Baltimore

Photo: Morgan State forward Marquise Kately is third in scoring for the Bears, averaging 12.6 points per game.

Even more than 3,000 miles from home, Marquise Kately couldn’t be more comfortable playing at Morgan State.

The 6-foot-5, 220-pound forward from San Francisco is one of three Bears players with ties to California, lured to Baltimore by Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman, who spent four seasons coaching at the University of California in the 1990s.

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MSU Coach Donald Hill-Eley: A difference maker!

Photo: Morgan State Roderick Wolfe is set to graduate in May 2008.

As a football coach, Hill-Eley is a notch above most and as a human being--even touchdown Jesus would approve.

CBS News correspondent Randall Pinkston gives us all a glimpse of Morgan State University's Coach Hill-Eley in an article entitled, "From Living On The Streets To Scoring On The Field."

Hill-Eley is truly a difference maker and an amazing person....


by: Randall Pinkston , CBS News correspondent - New York

From Living On The Streets To Scoring On The Field

Football Coach Don Hill-Eley of Morgan State University could have lived anywhere in the Baltimore area. He chose to live near Morgan State, in “the hood.” That decision led to another one – patronizing a grocery store near his home where he met Roderick Wolfe.

The meeting, five years ago, led to a story of faith, discipline, and success that is still unfolding. Roderick was a high school football player who did not seem destined for success.

Photo: Morgan State University Coach Donald Hill-Eley

“What did Roderick look like when you first saw him?” I asked the coach.

“He was tall, malnourished, and very dirty. He really looked homeless”, said Hill-Eley.

“He told you he played football?”

“Yup. Told me he played football, told me he had good grades.”
Roderick Wolfe looked homeless because he was homeless. He moved from house to house, sometimes with family, usually with friends. His father, a drug-dealer, died when Roderick was 10. By Roderick’s senior year in high school, his mother was on drugs, the family evicted from their home, Roderick and his siblings scattered to the winds.

Story Continues at: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2007/12/04/couricandco/entry3575211.shtml