The Lady Bears basketball team tipped-off their 2017-2018 season last week. The team is led by senior guard Braennan Farrar and senior forward Tykayrah Williams. Both Farrar and Williams were selected to the preseason All-MEAC teams. The Lady Bears roster this season is a lot different than last year’s. With the departures of Zuri White, Chelsea Mitchell, Jayde Duncan and Ivy Harrington, head coach Edward Davis signed new additions to the team. Junior transfers Naomi Bolasingh and Kayla Horn, along with Adreonia Coleman and Auneshia Williams and freshman Kelbi Lewis. The Lady Bears also will have the presence of their strong inside woman Lexus Spears. Spears missed the entire 2016-2017 season with an injury.
Through three games the Lady Bears put together a 2-1 record, with their only loss coming to Syracuse. The Lady Bears won two straight at Hill Field House against Cheyney and Lincoln.
Coach Davis’ team took a trip up north to visit the Ladies of Syracuse University. Farrar and company gave it all they had as they took a 95-68 beating at the Carrier Dome. The game remained close for the first 10 minutes of play as Morgan State held a 10-9 lead, but Syracuse posted an 11-0 run at the end of the quarter to take a 20-10 lead. Spears and Coleman were the Lady Bears’ leading scorers, both scoring 13 — Farrar followed with 12 and Williams with 11. Spears made her return to the lineup known as she nearly scored a double double.
The Lady Bears home opener of the season came against Cheyney University of Pennsylvania, where they posted a record setting 123-53 thumping of the Wolves. Farrar and Williams each shot 10-of-11 and knocked down three of their three point attempts. Spears scored 12 points on 5- of-6 shooting. Tyler Miller came off the bench to score 13 points and Jihayah Chavis added 12 points. There were a few notable stats about Monday’s record setting game.
The 123 points are the most points ever scored by a Morgan State women’s team, surpassing the previous school record of 115 points against the University of Baltimore (1/17/83). The 70-point victory is the second largest win in school history behind an 82-point (102-20) victory over Coppin State (2/13/77). The 49 made field goals are the most by a Lady Bears’ team since the program moved to the Division I level for the 1983-84 season.
The Lady Bears shot 71 percent (49-of-69) from the floor, including 12-of-16 (75 percent) from three-point range. Farrar and Chavis each had eight assists, as the Lady Bears recorded 28 as a team. Morgan State also forced 33 Cheyney turnovers, 20 of which were steals.
In the third game of the season, Farrar led the way with 15 points for the Lady Bears as they cruised pass Lincoln for a 60-41 victory at Hill Field House. The senior point guard racked up a double double and coleman added 14 points. Spears pitched in with 11 points followed by transfer junior guard Horn with 7. Morgan had an impressive 36 points in the paint. This was the eighth meeting between the two teams with the Lady Bears holding a 6-1 series advantage.
