MOREHEAD, Ky. — The Morehead State men’s basketball team closes out a three-game homestand on Saturday when it hosts Ohio Valley Conference East Division leader Belmont. Tip-off from Johnson Arena is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. ET. The contest will follow MSU and Tennessee State in women’s hoops at 5:15 p.m.
The Eagles, who have won four of their last five contests, are 11-14 overall, 6-4 in league play and 4-6 at home. MSU is coming off a Thursday victory over Tennessee State. The Bruins, who saw their five-game winning streak end on Thursday at Eastern Kentucky, are 15-8 overall, 7-3 in conference action and 6-6 on the road.
Belmont owns a 5-0 advantage in the all-time series against Morehead State. The Bruins picked up three victories against the Eagles last season. BU won both regular-season affairs and an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinal match-up in Nashville.
Saturday’s twinbill is sponsored by the University Bookstore. The promotion is a “Blackout” as fans are encourage to wear black. Click here for more information.
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 be streamed live and free of charge on OVCDigitalNetwork.com. The video production, which is coordinated by Eagle Vision, will include multiple cameras, replays, graphics and audio. The contest will also be broadcast on the Eagle Sports Network, with Chuck Mraz calling the play-by-play and Jason Blanton serving as the analyst. The radio network includes WIVY-96.3 FM in Morehead, WCBJ-103.7 FM in Campton, WLGC-1520 AM in Ashland/Greenup, MSUEagles.com (computers), m.Morehead.EZStream.com (mobile devices) and the Eagle Empire App.
Ten notes heading into the contest:
THE MAN FROM ISRAEL
Senior Karam Mashour posted his third Division I double-double, with a game-high 21 points and career-best 14 rebounds, in Thursday’s 72-57 victory over Tennessee State. The forward drilled 9-of-16 from the field and handed out a team-high four assists.
“K” HAS PICKED IT UP
Karam Mashour, who has averaged 14.4 points and 8.6 rebounds over his last seven games, is up to season averages of 8.4 points and 5.4 boards. He owns 11 double-figure scoring performances and four double-figure rebounding efforts in 25 contests.
DON’T BRING IT IN HERE
Senior Billy Reader registered a career-best five blocked shots on Thursday against Tennessee State. The center ranks ninth in the Ohio Valley Conference with 1.1 blocks per contest this season. He has collected 37 rejections in 56 games at Morehead State.
WHEN I PASS, YOU SHOULD SCORE
Senior Kareem Storey places third in the Ohio Valley Conference with 4.6 assists per game and fifth with 1.7 assists-per-turnover. The guard has tallied five assists in 24 of 54 games at Morehead State. He is averaging 7.4 points this season on 82 percent (36-of-44) from the foul line.
THE ONLY FOURTH-YEAR PLAYER
Senior Angelo Warner, the only fourth-year player at Morehead State, has recorded 1,427 points (11.8 pg) and 3,354 minutes (27.7 pg) in 121 career tilts. The guard has reached 10 points on 77 occasions. He needs 43 more points to climb into MSU’s top-10 for career scoring.
LEADING FROM START TO FINISH
Morehead State never trailed against Tennessee State. The Eagles opened up a 17-point advantage shortly before halftime and led by 10 at intermission. TSU trimmed the deficit to single digits multiple times, but MSU closed out the affair on a 13-4 run.
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. MSU leads the OVC in rebounding margin (+4.6) this year, while ranking third in boards per game (35.8).
MORE ON THE GLASS CLEANING
Morehead State is +66 in total rebounds, +48 in offensive rebounds and +35 in second-chance points over its last 11 tilts. The Eagles have only been outrebounded once during the stretch and six times in 25 affairs this season. MSU has four individuals averaging at least 4.0 rebounds this year, but only had three at this point last season.
A STREAK TO BE PROUD OF
Morehead State has finished Ohio Valley Conference play .500-or-better in each of the last seven seasons. MSU’s last sub-.500 OVC campaign came in 2006-07. The Eagles own a 24-18 record (.571) in league contests under Head Coach Sean Woods.
SOMETHING TO WORK ON
Morehead State has committed 582 fouls (23.3 pg) this season, which is more than any other Division I team. The Eagles have been whistled for 132 more infractions than their opponents this year, while MSU’s foes have also shot 190 more free throws.
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