MSU Gamenotes
Game 22
No. 23 Morgan State (14-7, 6-0 MEAC) at Norfolk State (3-15, 2-4 MEAC)
Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010 – 6:00 p.m. (ET)
Echols Hall – Norfolk, Va.
The Opening Tip
No. 23 Morgan State, the 2009 MEAC champion, will attempt to extend its 6-game winning streak when they travel to face conference opponent Norfolk State (5-13, 3-2 MEAC). Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Echols Hall. The game will mark the 26th meeting between the teams.
The Last Time Out
Reggie Holmes scored 25 points to help the first-place ranked Bears rout Maryland-Eastern Shore 91-54 on Monday night, a victory that extended the Bears winning streak to six straight. Troy Smith scored 15 first half points for Morgan State, which dominated from the opening tip and led 45-22 at halftime.
Norfolk State’s Last Game
ORANGEBURG, S.C. — Khalif Toombs scored 21 points and Darnell Porter 19, and host South Carolina State sprinted out to a big first-half lead and cruised to a 97-82 win over Norfolk State on Monday night at the Smith-Hammond-Middleton Memorial Center. The loss spoiled a career night from NSU sophomore Kyle O’Quinn, who recorded his fourth double-double of the season with a career-high 32 points and 11 rebounds.
Series History
Saturday’s game will be the 36th meeting between Morgan State and Norfolk State in men’s basketball. Norfolk State holds a 26-9 all-time record against Morgan State since the series began during the 1959-60 season. Morgan State has won three of the last four contests against the Spartans. The last time the Spartans defeated Morgan State was during the 2007-08 season when they dropped the Bears 71-69.
Holming In
♦ Morgan State senior guard Reggie Holmes will enter Monday's contest averaging 22.9 points per game, including four 30 point outings thru 21 games. He currently leads the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference in scoring and ranks in the NCAA Top 10 (ranked No. 5).
Thompson’s Hospitality
♦ Morgan State forward Kevin Thompson was named to the Freshmen Mid-Major All-America team by Collegeinsider.com at the end of the last season. Thompson has led Morgan State in rebounding 18 times in 2009-10 and 34 times in his career. Thompson is among the nation's leaders in rebounds ... he ranks No. 3 (12.0 rpg) and has posted 25 rebounds in a game which is an NCAA single-game high for this season.
Numbers Game
♦ Morgan State has won six straight, including 9 of its last 12.
♦ Morgan State has won 11 straight conference games since last season.
♦ Delaware State held its own on the boards (11-10) in the first half at Hill Field House, but the Bears dominated the boards, 18-to-8 in the second half and finished by outrebounding the Hornets by a 29-18 margin.
♦The Bears shot a season-high 54.5% (30-55 FG) from the field and outscored Winston-Salem State in the paint 42-to-32.
♦ MSU ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in rebounding margin by holding a 851-773 total rebound advantage over its opponents.
♦Freshman DeWayne Jackson is MSU's 3rd leading scorer by averaging 10 ppg thru 21 games...he's been selected twice as the MEAC Rookie of the Week and ranks No. 2 in the league in 3-point shooting percentage (.367).
♦ Sophomore Ameer Ali was inserted into the starting lineup for the first time this season when the Bears played at Baylor ... Ali posted 12 points and five rebounds in the first half in the Bears’ win at Howard.
♦ Junior point guard Danny Smith currently ranks among the MEAC leaders in assists ranked 4th (4.0 apg) and ranked 1st in assist/turnover ratio (2.6) … The junior finished with 10 assists against Towson on Dec.22.
♦ Morgan State’s Reggie Holmes has been named the MEAC Player of the Week four times so far this season and Kevin Thompson has also been named six times as Defensive Player of the Week and once as the MEAC Player of the Week.