It?s been 28 years since the Morgan State men?s basketball team has finished the season with a winning record. But if the Bears keep improving on their fast start, that streak will end well before they compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Tournament in March.
The Bears (3-1) defeated American, 62-54, for to earn their first three-game winning streak in 20 years and are off to their best start since opening the 1978-79 season 6-0 and finishing 18-12. But extending their winning streak will not be easy, as the Bears face Miami (4-0) this afternoon at 1 at BankUnited Center in Coral Gables, Fla. The Hurricanes, members of the Atlantic Coast Conference, will be Morgan State?s second opponent from a major conference after losing, 69-65, at the Big East?s Connecticut to open the season on Nov. 7.
“We are looking to try and prepare ourselves [for conference play with our schedule],” Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman said. “Our main thing to the guys is we want to make sure they are prepared every game for what they will run. The rest of it is on us to make sure we are disciplined and have determination and will.”
The Bears travel to southern Florida with a tough defense that averages 10 steals, 6 blocks and has forces the opposition to shoot just 39 percent from the field. But the Hurricanes also have excelled defensively. Miami forces an average of 16.5 turnovers per game and has held opponents to shoot just 36.4 percent.
Miami is led by junior forward Jack McClinton, a former Calvert Hall star who averages 14.3 points per game. Morgan State?s leading scorer is former St. Frances standout Reggie Holmes, who averages 16.8 points per game.
“If we weren?t in foul trouble we would have come out with that [win against Connecticut], because we weren?t scared,” Holmes said. “We were prepared. We are always prepared.”
