MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State men's basketball team wraps up its four-game homestand on Saturday when Ohio Valley Conference opponent Eastern Illinois visits Johnson Arena at approximately 7:30 p.m. ET.
The contest will follow an MSU vs. EIU women's basketball game at 5:15 p.m. Fans will be admitted to both contests in the doubleheader with one ticket. Admission starts at just $8 per person.
The Eagles (7-8, 1-0) posted a 68-64 win over SIU Edwardsville in their last game on Thursday. The Panthers (3-12, 0-2) have dropped eight straight decisions and are 0-7 on the road this year.
Eastern Illinois owns a 22-11 advantage in the all-time series, but Morehead State has won the past three meetings. The Eagles posted wins of 56-55 on the road and 75-39 at home in 2011-12.
Ways to follow the game:
LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO (CPU) | LIVE AUDIO (mobile) | LIVE STATS | TWITTER
The game will be webcast free of charge on OVCDigitalNetwork.com. It will also be broadcast on WIVY-96.3 FM in Morehead, MSUEagles.com (computers) and m.Morehead.EZStream.com (mobile devices). Chuck Mraz will call the play-by-play, while Jason Blanton provides analysis.
Releases and pre-game information:
MOREHEAD STATE | EASTERN ILLINOIS | OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
Ten notes heading into the contest:
THE LAST TIME OUT
Morehead State used a 44-23 rebounding advantage to post a 68-64 victory over SIU Edwardsville on Thursday at Johnson Arena. The Eagles now own a 4-1 upper hand in the all-time series with two straight wins over the Cougars.
POUNDING THE BOARDS
Junior Chad Posthumus collected 15 first-half rebounds en route to a game-high 19 against SIU Edwardsville. It was his top performance in 15 contests at Morehead State and the best by an Ohio Valley Conference player this year.
PRETTY GOOD COMPANY
Chad Posthumus became the first Morehead State player to register 19 rebounds since former Eagle and current Denver Nuggets’ forward Kenneth Faried pulled down 21 on March 4, 2011. Faried reach 20 rebounds seven times at MSU.
EFFICIENT EFFORT
Chad Posthumus is averaging 7.5 points and 6.4 rebounds in just 16.5 minutes. His pro-rated numbers this season, based on a 40-minute game, are 18.2 points and 15.5 rebounds. He has pulled down at least six boards nine times.
TOO MANY WHISTLES
Morehead State has been called for a nation-leading 377 fouls, while its opponents have only been whistled for 254 infractions. The Eagles have attempted just 299 free throws, while their foes have gone to the foul line 433 times.
COMPARING 2011-12 TO 2012-13
Morehead State was whistled for 295 fouls (19.7 avg.) through 15 contests last season, but has been guilty of 377 infractions (25.1 avg.) this year. The differential has led to 142 more free-throw attempts for its opponents.
WINNING AT JOHNSON ARENA
Morehead State has won 85 percent (56-10) of its games at Johnson Arena over the past five seasons, including 92 percent (33-3) in Ohio Valley Conference play. The Eagles are 6-2 at home this season, including 1-0 in league action.
ANALYZING HOME VS. ROAD
Morehead State averages 78.8 points on 45 percent from the field and is +8.3 in rebounds at Johnson Arena. The Eagles average just 62.9 points on 39 percent from the floor and are -1.7 on the boards away from the friendly confines.
POINTS FROM EVERYWHERE
Morehead State has tallied a 465 (31.0 pg) to 237 (15.8 pg) advantage in bench points this year. The Eagle reserves have also outscored their foes in 12 of 15 games to date. Junior Maurice Lewis-Briggs leads the current group with 8.3 points per game.
A DIFFERENT APPROACH
Morehead State’s starters outscored SIU Edwardsville’s first five, 58-40, on Thursday. The Eagle starters played 78 percent of the team’s minutes, which was a season high.
