Women's Hoops ends homestand against TTU on Wednesday night

Game Notes | Live Video | Live Audio | Live Stats
 
MOREHEAD, Ky.—Before Morehead State women's basketball begins a three-game road swing, the Eagles will host Tennessee Tech on Wednesday evening as part of a men's and women's doubleheader at Johnson Arena. Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m. ET.
 
MSU (8-13, 2-5) collected its second Ohio Valley Conference win with a 67-63 defeat of Jacksonville State Monday, splitting the last four games with a 2-2 record. In the last four games the Eagles have controlled the inside, scoring 136 points in the paint. Junior forward Shay Steele has been the beneficiary attacking the painted area, scoring 60 points during the stretch.  
 
TTU (7-14, 3-5) has won back-to-back games against Tennessee State and Eastern Kentucky, following a five-game losing streak. In the most recent victory against EKU, senior guard Samaria Howard dropped in a game-high 31 points, hitting 11-of-20 from the floor, and 8-of-8 from the free throw line. Howard ranks second in the league with 20.4 points per game.
 
Forward Candace Parson, who missed all of last season but was recently granted extended eligibility, has returned to the TTU lineup. She scored 12 points in 18 minutes of action against EKU. Prior to her absence in 2014-15, Parson averaged 10.4 points and 26 minutes in 2013-14.

The contest against Tennessee Tech will be available online on the OVC Digital Network. It will also broadcast on the Eagle Sports Radio Network with Jason Blanton calling all of the action. The radio network includes WIVY-96.3 FM and several affiliates throughout eastern Kentucky. A live audio stream can be found on MSUEagles.com and the Eagle Empire app.
 
EAGLES PERCHED ATOP THE OVC AS A TEAM
The Eagles lead the OVC in 10 separate team stat categories, including blocks, blocked shots per game, defensive rebounds per game, offensive rebounds per game, rebounds, rebounds per game, scoring offense, steals, steals per game, and turnovers forced.
 
GET THAT OUT OF HERE
The Eagles rank first in the nation with 142 blocks and fourth in blocked shots per game with 6.8. Junior forward Shay Steele is 34th in the nation and first in the OVC with 43 blocks. MSU tied a school record and an OVC record with 16 blocks in the win over Mount St. Joseph on Nov. 23.
 
McKEE LOOKS TO START A NEW STREAK
Sophomore forward Eriel McKee scored double digits in 24 straight games dating back to her freshman season, beginning on Feb. 21, 2015 versus EKU. But her streak was halted against Jacksonville State Monday when she scored four. McKee is averaging a team leading 14.7 points per game
 
CROCKETT RACKING UP THE OVC WEEKLY HONORS
Freshman guard Miranda Crockett has caught the attention of the OVC, as she has been awarded the OVC Freshman of the Week accolade on five different occasions. Crockett leads the team in assists (84) and minutes played (585), is second in rebounding (137) and fourth in points per game (12.5).
 
RUN-AND-GUN
MSU's scoring has stayed at a steady pace, averaging 81.8 points per game, ranking seventh in the nation and first in the OVC in scoring offense.  In four games, MSU has reached the century scoring mark and are 3-1 when they do so.
 
WORKING FOR WINDEX
The Eagles rank second in the country with 982 rebounds and fifth in rebounds per game with 46.7. MSU is also averaging 17 offensive rebounds per game, making them the eighth best offensive rebounding team in the nation.
 
SECOND-CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES
With a high rebounding average, 37 percent of the Eagles' rebounds have led to second-chance opportunities. As a result, MSU scores an average of 16.9 points per game as second-chance points.
 
PAINT THE INSIDE BLUE AND GOLD
On average, the Eagles are scoring 38.0 points per game in the paint, and their opponents are averaging 34.2 points per game.
 
GET EVERYONE INVOLVED
The MSU bench has been productive through the year, averaging 18.9 points per game. In 21 contests, the leading scorer has come from the bench twice.
 
TAKE THE BALL AWAY
MSU ranks eighth nationally with 229 steals and is 18th in steals per game with 10.9. Sophomore forward Eriel McKee is fifth in the nation with 63 steals and ranks 11th with 3.0 steals per game.
 
TEAMMATES FINDING TEAMMATES
As a team MSU has dished out 332 assists, and they rank 20th in the country. The Eagles have accumulated 10 or more assists in 18-of-21 games and have surpassed 20 team assists in four games.
 
PUT THE OPPONENTS ON THEIR HEELS
With 20.7 forced turnovers per game, the Eagles rank 19th in the nation. In 11 contests, the Eagles have forced 20 or more turnovers.
 
LAST TIME OUT VS. TENNESSEE TECH
Senior guard Almesha Jones poured in a season-high 29 points, and MSU used a 15-2 run midway through the second half to score a 90-82 Ohio Valley Conference victory over Tennessee Tech on Feb. 23, 2015 in Morehead. The Eagles snapped a three-game skid, and TTU dropped its 11th straight tilt. Morehead State swept the season series against the Golden Eagles.