Game 16

Opponent: Minnesota Golden Gopher (7-5, 0-2 Big Ten)

Date: Sunday, December 29, 2024

Site: Williams Arena, Minneapolis, Minn.

Time: 2:00 p.m. 

Broadcast: Peacock | Steve Schlanger (play-by-play) and Jess Settles (color analyst)

Live Stats: www.gophersports.com

Series: Minnesota leads 1-0

Coaches: MSU – Kevin Broadus (73-84, 6th yr) | UM – Ben Johnson (48-59, 4th)

Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.gophersports.com

Gamenotes: here

 

SETTING THE STAGE

The Morgan State University men’s basketball team is poised for a tough challenge as they approach the end of 2024, taking on the Minnesota Golden Gophers. Set to unfold on Sunday, December 29, at the historic Williams Arena in Minneapolis, this encounter represents a formidable test for the Bears as they face off against a Big Ten opponent. Tip-off scheduled for 2 p.m. and will be streamed live on Peacock.

•  Senior guard Kameron Hobbs paced the Bears with a game- and season-high 23 points and connected on 10-of-17 from the field in a 99-72 loss at No. 3 Iowa State last Sunday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum. The Bears will be in search of their first road win of the season as they are currently 0-7.

• Minnesota looks to build off a 74-60 home win against FDU (Dec.21) and improved to 7-5 for the season and 7-2 at home.

• Graduate student Wynston Tabbs and redshirt senior forward Will Thomas were named to the preseason All-MEAC first team. In addition, redshirt senior Kameron Hobbs has been named to the preseason All-MEAC Third Team. Tabbs started in 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 versus UMBC on Dec. 26. Thomas started in 24 of 30 games and finished the 2023-24 season as an All-MEAC Second Team selection. He averaged 14.0 points a game with a nearly absurd shooting efficiency as he’s 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 court for an average of 31.0 minutes per game. His scoring ability was evident as he averaged 10.1 points per game, while his 35 percent from beyond the arc (47-133). 

• MSU returns veteran guards Rob Lawson (8.9 ppg), and Amahrie Simpkins (8.7 ppg)  from the starting lineup and added several newcomers including guard Pierce Shirk from Georgia Southern, guard forward Jayden Socka from Prince George’s C.C., forward Marland Harris from West Los Angeles College, and forward Logan Schayes from Beacon College via the transfer portal. 

 

SCOUTING MINNESOTA

• Ben Johnson is in his fourth season as head coach of the Minnesota men’s basketball program. In Johnson’s third year, the Gophers held a 19-15 overall record. The Golden Gophers finished as the No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, a five-seed improvement from the 2022-23 season. 

• Minnesota was tabbed to finish 18th (last) in the Big Ten Preseason Poll. Kansas was predicted to finish in first place. UM’s Dawson Garcia was tabbed preseason All-Big Ten.

• UM has a 7-5 overall record and has won two of its last four games, including a 74-60 win on Saturday (Dec. 21) versus FDU. Dawson Garcia recorded a double-double with 18 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, and Mike Mitchell Jr. had 18 points, six rebounds, and five assists in the win.

• The Golden Gophers enter Sunday’s contest averaging 66.1 points per game on 44 percent shooting from the field and 29 percent from behind the arc. UM is averaging 15.6 assists and 6.2 steals per game.

• UM has three players averaging double-figures and are led by 6-11 senior forward Dawson Garcia (Savage, Minn. / Prior Lake) who’s averaging 19.2 points per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 85 percent from the free throw line. Jones has scored 20 or more points in seven games, including a season-high 30 points in the season-opener against Oral Roberts (11/6).

• Senior guard Mike Mitchell Jr.  (11.6 ppg; 2.4 rpg) and 6-foot-2 guard Lu’cye Patterson (10.0 ppg; .336 FG%), and 6-8 redshirt senior forward Parker Fox (6.8 ppg; 14 blks) are also key players for the Gophers.

UM by the Numbers

• 66.1: UM is currently ranks last in the Big Ten in scoring.

• 19.2: The Gophers have been led by Dawson Garcia who is averaging 19.2 points (ranks T-No. 4 in the Big Te).

• 7.3: Garcia leads UM on the boards (ranks No. 11).

• 63.5: On average UM is giving up just under 65 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 3).

• .652: UM ranks No. 17 in the Big Ten in free throw percentage.

• .438: UM ranks No. 17 in the Big Ten in field goal percentage.

• 5.2: UM ranks No. 2 in the Big Ten in blocked shots.

THE SERIES VS. THE GOLDEN GOPHERS

• UM leads the series 1-0.

• In the first-ever meeting between the teams, No. 16 Minnesota defeated the Bears, 94-64, at Williams Arena (Dec. 8, 2009). Blake Hoffarber led three Golden Gophers in double-figures with 18 points to lead Minnesota. Reggie Holmes led MSU with a game-high 26 points, but struggled against a Gopher defense that was zeroed in on stopping the No. 4 scorer in the nation (24.6 ppg). Kevin Thompson posted 17 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for his seventh double-double of the season. 

LAST TIME OUT 

AMES, Iowa (Dec. 22, 2024) – Tamin Lipsey had 20 points and Curtis Jones had 19 points to lead No. 3 Iowa State to a 99-72 win over Morgan State on Sunday afternoon in Hilton Coliseum.

• Lipsey, a junior from Ames, Iowa, finished with a game-high 20 points on 8-for-9 shooting to lead six Cyclones in double-figures. He also added five assists and three steals in 28 minutes.

• Jones, a senior guard fro Minneapolis, Minn., finished with 19 points, six assists and two blocks in 29 minutes off the bench. Keshon Gilbert scored 18 points (8-9 FG) with seven assists in 31 minutes. 

• Senior guard Kameron Hobbs paced the Bears with a game- and season-high 23 points and connected on 10-of-17 from the field and finished with four steals 38 minutes.

• Senior guard Amahrie Simpkins also scored double figures with 18 points (7-13 FG) and had eight rebounds.

• ISU connected on 61 percent of their shots from the field and was 7-for-20 (35%)from behind the arc, while the Bears shot 46 percent from the field and connected on 4-of-9 (44%) 3-pointers.

THE SCHEDULE

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

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

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

HOME COOKING 

• Morgan is off to a 6-2 home record so far this season.

• The Bears have won 5 of their last 6 home games since a March 4th win against North Carolina Central.

• Morgan completed the 2022-23 season with an 10-2 mark inside Hill Field House.

• The last time the Bears lost at home was against Mercyhurst (78-73) on Nov. 6 … their previous loss was on March 2, 2024 against South Carolina State (72-61).

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

 

OFFENSIVE OUTPUT

Offensively, the Bears are setting the pace in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) with an average of 81.9 points per game, ranked No. 1 in the conference in scoring.

• Morgan exploded for a season-high 124 points versus Cheney University 0f Pennsylvania (Dec. 4) and had 123 points vs. Central Penn (Dec. 1).

• The Bears currently rank No. 1 in the MEAC shooting 50.5 percent from the field and No. 4 shooting 34.5 percent from beyond the arc.

• Wynston Tabbs (16.1 ppg; No. 5) is leading the team.

• Morgan finished the 2023-24 regular season ranked No. 4 in scoring in the MEAC by averaging 72.7 points thru 31 games.

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

BEARING D

Defensively, Morgan opponents are averaging 81.2 points per game on 46.0 percent shooting from the floor and 35 percent from 3-point range, allowing 7.7 long distance strikes per night.

• Morgan ranks No. 2 in the conference in rebounding margin and has outrebounded the opponent by a 2.7 margin as they have secured 556 total boards (37.1 rebs/g) compared to 516 total rebounds (34.4 rebs/g) by opponents.

• Morgan’s defense currently ranks No. 86 in the country in turnovers forced (213 turnovers; 14.2 avg.).

• Last season, Morgan limited its opponents to scoring 77.5 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting from the floor and 34.3 percent from 3-point range, allowing 6.8 long distance strikes per night.

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE 

There are many ways to keep up with MSU athletics online and on the go:

• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official web site of Bears athletics, for news, schedules, stats, bios and more. 

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ABOUT MORGAN

Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland’s Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.