BALTIMORE, Md. (January 31, 2022) – The Morgan State Lady Bears rallied to win their third tournament of the season, winning the Best-of-7 Baker Championship Game on Sunday at the Red Flash Invitational at the Holiday Bowl in Altoona, Pa.

Game 1: Saint Francis (Pennsylvania) 4, Morgan State 3

Entering today’s championship round, Morgan State was in first place among 13 teams on the field and led the field by 417 pins after Friday’s traditional play and Saturday’s Baker five-game. The Lady Bears had to face Saint Francis (Pennsylvania), the host team and second seed of the tournament in their opener. Morgan State got off to a strong start, which is in their nature in Game 1, shooting a 225 to the Red Flash’s 158. This is where Saint Francis turned the tables on the Bears to take a 3-1 lead in the game. The Bears managed to win the next two games to lock the game at 3-3. In Game 7 however, open frames hurt the Bears as Saint Francis held steady and won the opener 4-3.

Game 2: Morgan State 4, Walsh 2
In the semifinals, Morgan State faced Walsh University who had defeated Wilmington University in the first round. Morgan won Game 1 216-169, then retired the next two games, giving Walsh a 2-1 lead. From there, the Bears found their energy and a consistent look to win the next three games to win the game, rolling games of 202, 202 and 177.

Championship game: Morgan State 4, Saint Francis (Pennsylvania) 1

In the championship game, the Bears faced their first-round opponent, Saint Francis University. As before, Morgan State caught fire in Game #1, beating the Red Flash 233-205. Morgan State stayed tough with games 189 and 174 to take a 3-0 lead. Saint Francis fought back hard in Game 4, beating Morgan State 196-160, but in Game 5 Morgan settled in and prevailed with a 204-168 win to clinch the league title.

Morgan State Head Coach Thomas Falbo, who hails from the Altoona, Pennsylvania area and previously coached Saint Francis (Pennsylvania) from 2010-2018, shared what the weekend meant to him.

“It didn’t hit me until our ninth and 10th frame strikes. I coached every minute until the contest was decided because Saint Francis is a team that gets better every week, so their beautiful play and the energy of their home crowd have lifted them throughout our previous matches,” said Falbo. “But in those last 2 pictures, it took me back to learning how to bowl at that center from my dad, seeing him win events there, and in that moment he was with me.”

“To see them score so well in a tough house and win the Holiday Bowl was a blessing in many ways. Their fight gets better every time. I’m proud of the ladies, their execution and hard work earned the win this weekend. We will continue to work hard as we look forward to hosting the James Brown Invitational in two weeks.”

Morgan State Baker Averages: Natalia Miranda Vega 8:47 p.m., Aliya Adams 20.3, La’Monique Berrios 19.83, Ashanti Fernandes 18.2, cheyenne washington 17.96, Naomi Smith 15.27 and Carrington Radius 15.0

Morgan State junior, La’Monique Berrios earned Team Most Valuable Player of All Tournaments honors with her strong traditional game average of 220.0 for her five games played in Friday’s traditional game round. His teammate, a sophomore, cheyenne washington also earned All-Tournament Team honors, finishing second overall in the field with an average of 204.0.

“La’Monique has put herself in a different mental position this season which follows a lot of disciplined work in her game, especially in her ability to make quick and correct changes,” Falbo said. “She had a terrific performance. Cheyenne has won several honors herself this season. Last weekend was a real glimpse of her potential in Friday’s opening games and I was thrilled for her. Congratulations to La’Monique and Cheyenne for a great weekend!”

Morgan State will then be in action by hosting the James Brown Invitational at AMF Towson Lanes in Towson, Maryland from February 11-13, 2022.

FOLLOW MORGAN STATE ATHLETICS IN CYBERSPACE
There are many ways to track MSU athletics in line and on the go:
• Visit www.morganstatebears.com, the official Bears Athletics website, for news, schedules, stats, biographies and more.
• Follow us on social networks:
Facebook: /MorganStateBears
Twitter: @MorganStBears
Instagram: /MorganStateBears

ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-ranked advanced research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees ranging from bachelor’s to doctoral degrees. As Maryland’s preeminent public urban research university and the only university to have its entire campus designated 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 people as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.