MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State's women's basketball team returns from the Christmas break to host Bethel University (Tenn.) on Friday at 5:15 p.m. ET. The game is the opening contest in a doubleheader with the Eagle men hosting Southern Mississippi.
Morehead State (3-9) is on a two-game winning streak with victories against UAB and Kent State. The Wildcats, who are ranked 12th in the NAIA Division I top 25, are 11-2. Bethel is counting Friday's game as an exhibition so it will not count in its win-loss record.
Following the game, the Eagles will have a day to prepare for their next contest, a 7 p.m. contest at Horizon League opponent Wright State on Sunday.
Ways to follow the game:
LIVE AUDIO | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE STATS | TWITTER
Jason Blanton will call the action on WIVY-96.3 FM (Morehead). The game can also be heard on MSUEagles.com. The pre-game show begins 15 minutes prior to tipoff, and the post-game show, featuring Head Coach Tom Hodges, follows immediately after the game. The game will be video streamed live and free on OVCDigitalNetwork.com.
Releases and pre-game information:
MOREHEAD STATE (PDF)
Game notes heading into the contest:
Steal Away
The Eagles rank first in the OVC in steals per game (121) and have seven games with double-digit swipes.
Freebies...We’ll Take Them
Morehead State has connected on 69 percent from the free throw line this season, including a 15-for-18 effort at UAB that contributed greatly to the Eagle victory. Three MSU players hit better than 70 percent at the line.
We’re All In
All 12 active players have seen action this year, and MSU has six players averaging between 20 and 29 minutes per game.
Two Times 30
Terrice Robinson and Almesha Jones have both scored 30+ points in a game this season, marking the third straight season that two Eagle players have registered 30 in a game. Prior to that, it had been 13 seasons (1996-97) since the Eagles saw two players score 30 in separate games.
Miss Robinson
Junior guard Terrice Robinson leads MSU and ranks fourth in the OVC in scoring at 15.8 points per game. She has reached double figures in nine of the Eagles’ 12 games. Robinson scored a career-high 39 points at Ohio on Dec. 9 and tossed in a game-high 25 in the win at UAB on Dec. 18.
Elite Company
Terrice Robinson’s 39 points at Ohio were just two short of the school record of 41 set by former Eagles Bev Smith and Amy Kieckbusch. To put it in perspective, Smith is in the MSU Athletic Hall of Fame, and Kieckbusch was the OVC Player of the Year in 1996-97. Robinson’s total also equaled former teammate and MSU all-time scoring leader Chynna Bozeman’s career-high. Bozeman’s retired jersey hangs in the rafters of MSU’s Johnson Arena.
Keeping Up With the Jones
Sophomore guard Almesha Jones shattered her previous career high in points with 31 versus Kent State. Jones hit five three-pointers and was 12-of-17 from the field. She also hit the game-winning layup with 37 seconds left and chalked up a career-high six steals. Jones is averaging 10.8 points per game and has a team-best 36 steals.
Handouts and Takeaways
Almesha Jones leads the Eagles in assists and steals, averaging better than three each per game.
Mac Attack
Sophomore forward Mackenzie Arledge grabbed a career-best 13 rebounds in the MSU win at UAB Dec. 18. Arledge also drew two key offensive fouls on the Blazers in the final minutes that helped preserve the 57-50 victory.
