NASHVILLE -- Morehead State continues 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Men's Basketball Tournament action on Thursday in the quarterfinal round against Tennessee State. Tip-off from Municipal Auditorium is set for 7 p.m. ET.
The fifth-seeded Eagles, who finished OVC play 8-8, are 15-17 overall. The fourth-seeded Tigers, who wrapped up their league slate 11-5, are 17-13 overall.
MSU owns a 32-28 advantage in the all-time series against TSU. The Eagles defeated the Tigers twice this year -- 78-69 in Morehead and 101-100 in Nashville.
The OVC Tournament began in 1949. Morehead State has claimed four titles (1983, 1984, 2009 & 2011), while Tennessee State has won two (1993 & 1994).
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. The contest 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 on radio, while Jason Blanton provides analysis.
Releases and pre-game information:
MOREHEAD STATE | TENNESSEE STATE | OHIO VALLEY CONFERENCE
Ten notes heading into the contest:
THE LAST TIME OUT
Morehead State used an 11-0 run midway through the second half and hung on for a 73-66 victory over UT Martin in the opening round of the 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at Municipal Auditorium.
GOING TO THE GLASS
Morehead State is +173 total rebounds and +119 in offensive boards over the past 19 games. The Eagles, who averaged an Ohio Valley Conference-best 35.9 rebounds in league play, have outrebounded 17 opponents during the stretch.
A VERY DEEP BENCH
Morehead State has registered an 922 (28.8) to 472 (14.8) advantage in bench points this season. The Eagle reserves have outscored their foes in 28 of 32 contests to date. MSU collected 749 bench points (22.7) all of last season.
I LOVE PLAYING TSU
Sophomore Angelo Warner owns two 20-point efforts in 2012-13, both against Tennessee State. He tallied 23 points on 5-of-6 from long distance on Feb. 28 after recording a career-high 24 points on 16-of-18 from the foul line on Jan. 26.
IT’S BEEN A WHILE
Senior Devon Atkinson has collected a team-high 162 assists in 32 games this season (5.1). It’s Morehead State’s highest total since Nikola Stojakovic tallied 200 in 2007-08. Atkinson dished out just 22 helpers all of last season in 26 contests (0.8).
REGULAR-SEASON RESULTS
Morehead State split 10 regular-season contests vs. this year’s Ohio Valley Conference Tournament field. On MSU’s side of the bracket, the No. 3 Eagles went 1-0 against No. 8 UT Martin, 2-0 vs. No. 4 Tennessee State and 0-2 against No. 1 Belmont.
LAST YEAR IN NASHVILLE
Morehead State went 1-1 in last year’s Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. The third-seeded Eagles registered a 68-54 win over No. 7 Jacksonville State in the quarterfinals, but suffered a 59-52 setback to No. 2 Tennessee State in the semifinals.
RECENT OVC TOURNEYS
Morehead State owns a 9-3 record in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament over the past six years. The Eagles captured tourney championships in 2009 and 2011.
HITTING THE CENTURY MARK
Last Thursday’s 101-100 win over Tennessee State marked Morehead State’s fourth 100-point effort of the campaign. It was MSU’s first triple-figure effort against a Division I foe in regulation time since a 104-76 win over UT Martin on Feb. 20, 2003.
BLOWING UP THE SCOREBOARD
Thursday’s victory at the Gentry Center was the first time in more than 10 years that Morehead State and its opponent both reached the century mark. The Eagles posted a 101-100 overtime victory over Marshall at Johnson Arena on Dec. 17, 2002.
