BALTIMORE, MD--The South Carolina State men's basketball team return to action kicking off the new year in Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) play versus host Morgan State inside Hill Field House. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPN+.

Game 16
South Carolina State Bulldogs (6-9, 0-0 MEAC) vs. Morgan State (6-10, 0-0 MEAC)
Date: Saturday, January 4, 2025
Site: Hill Field House, Baltimore, Md.
Time: 4:00 p.m. 
Broadcast: ESPN+ | Phil Schoener (play by play), Darren Zaslau (Analyst)
Live Stats: www.morganstatebears.com
Series: SCSU leads the series 46-42
Coaches: MSU - Kevin Broadus (73-85, 6th yr) | SCSU - Erik Martin (25-53, 3rd)
Websites: www.MorganStateBears.com | www.scsubulldogs.com

THE SERIES VS. THE BULLDOGS
• SCSU leads the series 46-42. The Bulldogs won the last meeting between the teams on March 2, 2024. Raquan Brown and Michael Teal scored 12 points apiece to lift the Bulldogs past Morgan, 72-61, at Hill Field House. 

• LAST TIME OUT 
  • SCSU looks to bounce back from a 79-72 setback against Georgia (Dec. 29) and dropped to 6-9 for the season and 2-8 on the road. Freshman guard Jayden Johnson tossed in a team-high 16 points in the loss.
• Morgan State, meanwhile, dropped a tough 90-68 loss to Minnesota after Kameron Hobb scored a game-and career-high 25 points with six boards and four assists in 33 minutes.

SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA STATE
• SCSU has a 6-9 overall record and has lost two of its last three games, including a 79-72 loss on Sunday (Dec. 29) versus Georgia. Jayden Johnson recorded 16 points (5-8 FG) off the bench. Michael Teal and Wilson Dubinsky added 13 and 12 points, respectively.
• The Bulldogs enter Saturday's contest averaging 75.0 points per game on 45 percent shooting from the field and 34 percent from behind the arc. SCSU is averaging 14.5 assists and 9.5 steals per game (No. 29 in nation).
• SCSU's 6-11 sophomore forward Drayton Jones (Houston, Texas) is averaging a team-high 12.7 points per game, 5.1 rebounds and is shooting 58 percent from the field and 64 percent from the free throw line. Jones scored a season-high 34 points (13-17 FG) with eight rebounds and six blocked shots against Charleston Southern (12/9).
• Graduate student guard Omar Croskey  (8.9 ppg; 2.9 rpg) and 6-foot-3 senior guard Wilson Dubinsky (8.5 ppg; .418 FG%), and 6-6 senior forward Davion Everett (7.3 ppg; .696 FG%) are also key players for the Bulldogs.

SCSU by the Numbers
• 75.0: UM is currently ranks No. 5 in scoring.
• 12.7: The Bulldogs have been led by Drayton Jones who is averaging 12.7 points (ranks No. 12 in the MEAC).
• 5.1: Jones leads SCSU on the boards (ranks No. 10).
• 69.7: On average SCSU is giving up just under 70 points per contest to opponents (ranks No. 2).
• 3.6: SCSU ranks No. 2 in the MEAC in steals.

BULLDOG NOTE: • South Carolina State was picked T-No. 5 in the conference's predicted order of finish.  South Carolina State sophomore guard Mitchell Taylor was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team and graduate guard Omar Croskey was named to the Third Team. 

A LOOK INSIDE THE BEARS: Morgan State has four players in double figures with Wynston Tabbs leading the way with 16.1 points, along with Will Thomas and Amahrie Simpkins chipping in 12 points each and Kameron Hobbs at 11.6 ppg.

ABOUT SC STATE ATHLETICS
South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 14 sports: women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer.
 
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