MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Morehead State men’s basketball team continues its final week of regular-season action on Thursday when it hosts Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee Tech. Tip-off from Johnson Arena is set for 9 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network.
The Eagles, who have won six of their last nine contests, are 13-16 overall, 8-6 in conference action and 5-6 at home. MSU topped Tennessee State on Monday. The Golden Eagles, who have lost five of their last seven, are 12-16 overall, 4-10 in league play and 2-12 on the road. TTU lost to Belmont on Saturday.
Morehead State owns a 79-64 advantage in the all-time series against Tennessee Tech. Junior Brent Arrington recorded 24 points, eight rebounds and four steals in the first meeting on Jan. 22, and the Eagles posted a 78-74 win over the Golden Eagles at the Eblen Center.
Several promotions are on tap for Morehead State’s second-to-last home game. Free mini corn dogs will be available for MSU students. It will be a “Blueout” as all Eagle fans are encouraged to wear blue. Morehead State students also are expected to lead a toga party.
The contest is sponsored by the Kentucky Lottery. Adult tickets begin at just $8, while tickets for children 12-and-under start at $3. Parking is only $5 per vehicle. Click here to purchase tickets on-line.
The game will televised nationally by CBS Sports Network. John Sadak will call the TV play-by-play, while Chris Walker serves as the analyst. The contest will also be broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network. Chuck Mraz will call the radio play-by-play, while Jason Blanton serves as the analyst. The radio network includes WIVY-96.3 FM in Morehead, WCBJ-103.7 in Campton, MSUEagles.com (computers), m.Morehead.EZStream.com (mobile devices) and the Eagle Empire App.
Ten notes heading into the contest:
AN EAST DIVISION UPDATE
Morehead State (8-6) trails Belmont (10-5) by 1 1/2 games and Eastern Kentucky (9-5) by one contest entering Thursday’s action. The Eagles are 1-1 against the Bruins this season and 0-2 versus the Colonels. EKU and BU split a pair of regular-season affairs.
OVC TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
Murray State, which has won 22 straight games, is 24-4 overall and 14-0 in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Racers have clinched the No. 1 seed, while the No. 2 seed will come from the East Division. Both division winners go straight to the OVC Tournament semifinals. Seeds No. 3 through 8 will be determined by league winning percentage.
ANALYZING THE RESULTS
Morehead State has posted a 3-7 record in games decided by five points or less and 8-5 mark in contests decided by 10 points or more. The Eagles have lost six Ohio Valley Conference tilts by a total of 37 points (6.2 pg), including three by just one possession.
REBOUNDING IS WHAT WE DO
Morehead State has led the Ohio Valley Conference in rebounding margin six straight seasons (2008-14), paced the league in rebounds five of the last six years and had the conference’s top individual four of the past six seasons. The Eagles currently lead the OVC in rebounding margin (+5.0), while ranking third in boards per game (35.4).
MORE ON THE GLASS CLEANING
Morehead State is +96 in total rebounds, +68 in offensive boards and +29 in second-chance points over its last 15 contests. The Eagles have only been outrebounded once during the stretch and six times in 29 affairs this season. MSU has five individuals averaging at least 4.0 boards this year, but only had three at this point last season.
TURNING IT ON IN OVC PLAY
Senior Karam Mashour has averaged 14.4 points and 7.9 rebounds in 14 Ohio Valley Conference games after averaging just 5.3 points and 3.7 boards in 15 non-conference contests. The forward has registered 11 double-figure scoring performances and five double-figure rebounding efforts in league play.
THE ONLY FOURTH-YEAR PLAYER
Senior Angelo Warner, the only fourth-year player at Morehead State, has recorded 1,480 points (11.8 pg) and 3,467 minutes (27.7 pg) in 125 career tilts. The guard has reached 10 points on 80 occasions. He ranks 10th on MSU’s career scoring list, and that is where he will likely finish his career.
WHEN I PASS, YOU SHOULD SCORE
Senior Kareem Storey places fifth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 4.4 assists per game and 1.7 assists-per-turnover. The guard, who has played 58 tilts as an Eagle, is averaging 7.3 points this season on 83 percent (44-of-53) from the foul line.
THE DEFENSE HAS IMPROVED
Through 29 games, Morehead State’s opponents are averaging just 65.8 points on 43.8 percent from the field. At this point last year, MSU’s foes were averaging 72.3 points on 44.4 percent from the floor. The Eagles have also allowed 31 fewer threes.
SOMETHING TO WORK ON
Morehead State has committed 678 fouls (23.4 pg) this season, which is more than any other Division I team. The Eagles have been whistled for 157 more infractions than their opponents this year, while MSU’s foes have also shot 222 more free throws.
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