Morgan State women?s basketball coach Donald Beasley has a vision for what he wants his program to look like.
That vision doesn?t require too much imagination. He only needs to look at the state of the program at cross-town Coppin State, the Bears? Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference rival. Coppin State, the team to beat in the MEAC, is coming off a 22-9 season. The Eagles have won 31 straight games against conference opponents and have advanced to the last two NCAA tournaments.
On the flip side, Morgan State has gone 9-46 the last two seasons, was picked to finish 10th in the preseason MEAC poll and just lost its 13th straight game to Coppin State, 64-49, last Wednesday at Hill Field House. But Beasley, a second-year coach and a 1984 Morgan State graduate, believes the Bears can turn the corner.
The team took a small step forward Saturday when it scored a 60-57 non-conference win at Lafayette. Forward Shana Phillips notched her first career double-double with a career-high 23 points and10 rebounds. The Bears are now 3-4, their best record through seven games since the 1999-2000 season.
Beasley believes the key to winning is scoring consistency. In the loss to Coppin State, the Bears nearly equaled the Eagles in every statistical category except shooting, where the Bears made only 32 percent of their shots to the Eagles? 40 percent.
“We?re doing a good job rebounding and getting shots ? we just have to make them,” Beasley said.
The Bears rely heavily on Phillips and guards Whitney Johnson and Corin Adams for scoring. Phillips is averaging 8.6 points and 6.4 rebounds while Johnson chips in 9.9 points and Adams contributes 10 points a contest.
But Morgan State?s long-term success will depend on more than just individual statistics, Beasley said.
“We don?t have the leadership on this team like Coppin has,” he said. “… We?re scrapping, playing hard and playing with energy. We just haven?t found a way to consistently put the ball in the basket.”
MORGAN STATE NOTES
» Forward Shana Phillips earned MEAC player of the week honors for her performance against Lafayette. In the game, Phillips connected on 9 of 12 shots, including four three-pointers.
» Morgan State?s next game is against Mount St. Mary?s at home Tuesday at 5:30 p.m.
