Erin Hawkins and the Lady Bears will look to extend their 5-1 MEAC mark when they visit Norfolk State on Saturday.
BALTIMORE, Md. (Jan. 28, 2010)-Morgan State will put its season-long four-game winning streak on the line, when it visits Norfolk State on Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. at Echols Hall.
The Lady Bears, who are off to the program's best MEAC start ever at 5-1, are coming off a 65-51 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore on Monday. #Corin Adams# has paced the Lady Bears with her league-leading 19.2 points per contest and also leads the league in steals with 54 and a team-leading 56 assists. Theresa Davis is adding 8.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, both of which rank second on the team. Kristina Rosario leads the team in rebounds with 6.7 per game and has a team-leading 21 blocks.
Norfolk State (3-12, 0-6 MEAC) is coming off a tough 74-73 road loss at South Carolina State on Monday. The Spartans were led by Raychele Payne, who came off the bench and scored a game-high 21 points to lead five Norfolk State players in double figures. Whitney Long added 13 points, Batavia Owens scored 11 and Marian Brooks and Tyisha Bridges both added 10 points. Recca Trice finished with 12 assists. Long has led the Spartans with an average of 11.9 points per game. Owens leads the squad in rebounds at 5.8 per contest, while Trice holds the team lead in assists (72) and steals (34).
NORFOLK STATE SERIES NOTES: Norfolk State leads the all-time series, 13-8, but the Lady Bears have won five straight against Norfolk State. Last season Morgan State won the only meeting between the two, defeating the Spartans, 65-57 in Baltimore (1/12).
MORGAN Vs. THE COMMONWEALTH STATE: Saturday's contest at Norfolk State will mark the fourth meeting this season between an opponent from the Commonwealth State of Virginia with the Lady Bears holding carrying an 0-3 mark against Virginia schools. Morgan State dropped its previous three games this season against Virginia Commonwealth (75-68) in double-overtime in the championship game of the Seton Hall Classic (Nov. 21), Richmond (63-60) in the consolation game of the Saint Peter's Holiday Classic (Dec. 30) and at Hampton (74-37) live on ESPNU (1/11).
ADAMS FOUR STEALS SHY OF RECORD: Corin “Tiny” Adams, is six steals shy of becoming the school's all-time career steals leader. Adams, who entered the season with 298 steals, which was third on the career charts, has tallied 54 steals this season, giving her 352 for her career. Kaira Warfield (355 steals from 1993-97) currently holds the career record. Shakira Smith ranks second all-time with 353 steals from 1997-01. Earlier this season Adams became the school's all-time career scoring leader when she scored her 1,576 point and last season she became Morgan State's all-time career assists leader with 351.
LADY BEARS RIDING FOUR-GAME WINNING STREAK: Morgan State will put its current season-long four-game winning streak on the line in its upcoming games at Norfolk State and North Carolina A&T. The four-game winning streak surpasses Morgan's previous season-high two-game winning streak, which it reached twice.
ROSARIO MATCHES CAREER-HIGH IN REBOUNDS: Kristina Rosario tied her career high in rebounds, when she pulled down a game-high 15 rebounds in the win over UMES. Rosario, who has grabbed 47 rebounds in the past four games, leads Morgan State with 6.7 rebounds per game.
MSU OFF TO BEST MEAC START EVER: Morgan State's 5-1 MEAC mark is the program's best league start ever, surpassing the 1996-97 squad, which started 4-1. The Lady Bears, who began the season 2-0 before a loss at Hampton, fell one win shy of matching the 1999-2000 team for the school's best start without a loss at 3-0. The 1999-2000 team finished with a school record 12-6 MEAC mark.
