From Winter’s Embrace to Hill Field House

Game 18

Opponent: North Carolina Central Eagles (7-11, 0-1 MEAC)

Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025

Website: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Maryland

Time: 4 p.m

Transmitted: ESPN+ | Darren Zaslau (analyst)

Live statistics: www.morganstatebears.com

Series: NCCU leads the series 56-43

Trainer: MSU – Kevin Broadus (73-86, 6th year) | NCCU – Levelle Moton (271-208, 16th)

Sites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.nccueaglepride.com

Game notes: Here

SET THE STAGE

• The Morgan State University Bears men’s basketball team is preparing for an important game against the North Carolina Central Eagles on Tuesday, January 7 at Hill Field House. This game represents a crucial opportunity for both teams to jump into the conference win streak and turn their season around. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. and fans who can’t attend in person can watch all the action live on ESPN+.

• Senior security guard Kameron Hobbs led the Bears with a game-high 22 points in an 86-72 loss to South Carolina State on Saturday afternoon at Hill Field House.

• NCCU is looking to bounce back from a 63-61 loss to Coppin State (Jan. 4) that dropped to 6-11 and 2-7 on the road this season.

• PhD student Wynston Tabbs and redshirt senior forward Will Thomas were named to the preseason All-MEAC first team. Also a redshirt senior Kameron Hobbs was named to the preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Tabbs started 19 of 24 games and earned All-MEAC Second Team honors. He averaged 14.8 points and finished the regular season ranked No. 6 in the MEAC in scoring, including a career-high 38 points against UMBC on December 26. Thomas started in 24 of 30 games and finished the 2023–24 season as a MEAC second-team all-selection. He averaged 14.0 points per game with an almost absurd shooting efficiency as he converted 47 percent from the field (ranked No. 2). Hobbs had an impressive season, starting in 27 of the 31 games he played and showcasing his skills on the field for an average of 31.0 minutes per game. His ability to score was evident as he averaged 10.1 points per game while shooting 35 percent from distance (47-133).

• MSU returns experienced guards Rob Lawson (8.9 ppg) and Amahrie Simpkins (8.7 ppg) from the starting lineup and added several newcomers, including a guard Pierce Shirk from Georgia Southern, guard forward Jayden Socka from Prince Georges CC, forward Marland Harris from West Los Angeles College and beyond Logan Schayes from Beacon College through the transfer portal.

SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA CENTRAL

• North Carolina Central head coach Levelle Moton (North Carolina Central, ’96) enters his 16th season as head coach of the Eagles…he was the 2014-15 NABC District Coach of the Year.

• North Carolina Central was picked at No. 3 in the conference’s predicted final order. NCCU Junior Guard Po’Boigh King was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team and graduate guard Omar Croskey was called up to the third team.

• North Carolina Central (7-11, 0-1) enters Monday’s contest after suffering a 63-61 loss to Coppin State on Saturday (Jan. 4) at PEC Arena. Junior guard Po’Boigh King led all scorers with 18 points and was the only Eagle in double figures. The difference was three-point shooting, as NCCU shot 1 of 15 from distance and Coppin State shot 9 of 18.

• The Eagles enter Monday’s contest averaging 79.4 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and 33 percent from distance. NCCU averages 16.3 assists and 10.4 steals per game (No. 7 in the NCAA).

• The Eagles have two players averaging double figures, led by 6-4 junior guards Po’Boigh King who averages 16.1 points and shoots 43.3 percent from the field and 31 percent from 3-point territory. Senior security guard Keishon Porter averages 11.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and shoots 39 percent from three points.

• Junior 6-foot-9 forward Perry Smith Jr. (8.9 ppg; 4.2 rpg), redshirt senior guard Floyd Rideau Jr. (7.3 ppg; ..397 3FG%) and junior guard Dionte Johnson (6.9 ppg; .394 FG%) are also key players for the Eagles.

NCCU in numbers
• 79.4: NCCU is currently No. 2 in the MEAC in scoring.

• 16.1: The Eagles are led by Po’Boigh King, who is averaging 16.1 points (ranked No. 6 in the MEAC).

• 4.4: Dionte Johnson leads NCCU in assists (ranked No. 1 in the MEAC).

• 72.6: On average, NCCU gives up almost 75 points per contest to its opponents (ranking No. 3).

• 10.4: NCCU ranks No. 1 in the MEAC in steals.

• .461: NCCU ranks 4th in the MEAC in field goal percentage.

THE SERIES VS. THE EAGLES
• NCCU leads the series 56-43

• Morgan won the last meeting between the two teams on March 3, 2024 – Will Thomas scored 24 of his career-high 30 points in the second half, Amahrie Simpkins had 20 points and eight rebounds as the Bears posted an 88-79 victory over North Carolina Central at Hill Field House. Amahrie Simpkins finished the season with a season-high 20 points (7-8 FG) with eight rebounds, three steals and a block. Kameron Hobbs scored 16 points and hit 6 of 13 shots, including eight rebounds and two assists.

• NCCU’s last win against Morgan was on February 11, 2023 – Justin Wright had 25 points and 11 rebounds and NCCU scored 40 points in the game in an 83-63 win over Morgan at McDougald-McLendon Arena. NCCU graduate student Brendan Medley-Bacon, a 7-foot Baltimore product, dropped 17 points on 6 of 10 shooting, including eight boards and a game-high six blocked shots. Lewis Djonkam paced the Bears, scoring 11 of his team-high 19 points in the second half and finishing the game with six rebounds, two steals and one assist in 36 minutes. Kameron Hobbs finished with 14 points, four boards and a blocked shot. Freshman guard Rob Lawson scored 9 points off the bench.

LAST TIME
BALTIMORE, Md. – Drayton Jones scored a team-high 20 points to help South Carolina State to an 86-72 victory over Morgan State in the conference opener for both teams Saturday at Hill Field House.

• Jones shot 8 of 15 from the field, including 4 of 7 from the free throw line, and added six rebounds in 20 minutes.

• Davion Everett scored 18 points (6-8 FG) with a game-high eight balls and three assists in 31 minutes off the bench. Omar Croskey added 17 points (6-9 FG), six rebounds and three steals.

• Kameron Hobbs Scored a game-high 22 points on 4-for-6 shooting from distance.

• SCSU shot 55 percent (33-60) from the field, including 45 percent (5-11) from 3-point territory. The Bears shot 53 percent (26-49) from the floor and were 5 of 12 from behind the arc.

• Both teams struggled at the free throw line – Morgan shot 15-for-26 (58%) from the free-throw line, compared to SCSU’s 58% (15-for-26).

THE SCHEDULE
• Morgan State opens the season at home against Division II Frostburg State on Nov. 4, then hosts Division I newcomer Mercyhurst at Hill Field House two days later. The Bears will play seven of their first 11 games at home, including a Nov. 24 date against local rival Towson.

• December brings trips to three power conference opponents: Xavier (December 10), Iowa State (December 22) and Minnesota (December 29). The Bears open MEAC at home against South Carolina State on January 4th and will play their final home game on March 3rd against Delaware State.

• The regular-season finale is three days later at Coppin State, followed next week by the MEAC tournament in Norfolk, Virginia.

HOME COOKING
• Morgan has a 6-3 home record so far this season.

• The Bears have won five of their last seven home games since a March 4 win over North Carolina Central.

• Morgan finished the 2022-23 season with a 10-2 mark at Hill Field House.

• The Bears’ last home loss was Nov. 6 against Mercyhurst (78-73). The last loss was on March 2, 2024 against South Carolina State (72-61).

• Morgan finished the 2023-24 regular season at home at 8-5.

OBJECTIVE BEHAVIOR
Offensively, the Bears set the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an average of 80.5 points per game and are No. 1 in the conference in scoring.

• Morgan scored a season-high 124 points against Cheney University of Pennsylvania (December 4) and had 123 points against Central Penn (December 1).

• The Bears are currently ranked No. 1 in the MEAC with a 50.0 percent shooting percentage from the field and No. 3 with a 35.0 percent shooting percentage from distance.

• Wynston Tabbs (15.1 ppg; No. 8) leads the team.

• Morgan finished the 2023-24 regular season ranked No. 4 in the MEAC in scoring with an average of 72.7 points in 31 games.

• The Bears averaged 74.9 points in 31 games during the 2022-23 season (No. 4 in the MEAC).

Stay on target
• Morgan is shooting .500 (528-1055) from the floor and hitting 50 percent or better on time (5-2 record), including a season-high .667 (36-54) on Dec. 15 against Campbell.

• Last season, the Bears shot .451 (840-1862) and shot 50 percent or better six times (5-1 record), including a season-high .635 (54-85) on Dec. 9, 2024 vs. Virginia Lynchburg .

JANUARY OPPONENT
• Morgan State will play four of five games at Hill Field House this month. the most in a single month this season.

• Earlier this season, the Bears lost to teams 3-5 in November and 3-4 in December.

THOMAS AUGT MILESTONE MOMENT
• Redshirt senior forward Will Thomas has his sights set on a grand and is quickly approaching his 1,000th career point. The Baltimore native has scored 206 points so far this season, increasing her career total to 939. She only needed 61 points to reach the benchmark.

• Thomas currently ranks 33rd on the school’s all-time scoring list and is 40 points away from passing Sherwyn Devonish for No. 32 (978 points).

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ABOUT MORGAN
Founded in 1867, Morgan State University is a Carnegie High Research (R2) classified institution that offers nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from baccalaureate to doctoral degrees. As Maryland’s preeminent public urban studies university and the only university whose entire campus has been designated a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multi-ethnic and multi-racial student body and aims to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as broadly as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.