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OVC Digital Network
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Following a thrilling 87-85 victory over Tennessee State on Saturday night, Morehead State men's basketball (7-11, 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference) travels to face Austin Peay (6-13, 2-3) on Thursday night at 8 p.m. ET.
"We are facing a very good Austin Peay team on Thursday night. This is a team that is hard to beat at their place and they have great guard play," said interim head coach
Preston Spradlin. "School's back in this week, so our guys have to get back to being students first, but we've got to be ready to play and we'll get them prepared."
The Eagles are heating up as they enter the midway portion of their conference schedule. They are 5-3 in their last eight games after starting the season at 2-8. In those eight games, they are averaging 88.4 points, which is up from the 76.4 they averaged in their first ten.
In the win over TSU, senior forward
DeJuan Marrero led the way with a career-high 22 points and 16 rebounds, which tied a career-high. It marked his eighth double-double of the season, which ranks 28th in the country. He has 15 double-doubles on his career at Morehead State. He also shot 10-of-12 from the free throw line and dished out three assists, including the game-winner to senior forward
Treshaad Williams with three seconds to go.
Marrero averages 8.1 rebounds, which ranks fifth in the OVC, and 2.9 offensive rebounds, which is tied for second. After shooting just 14-of-28 from the free throw line to start the season, he has shot 19-of-24 since, which is good for 79 percent.
Through 18 games, Morehead State has been outscored by 71 points at the free throw line, which is a deficit of 3.9 points per game. They were outscored by 8.4 per game at the line in their first ten games when their record was just 2-8. But, in their last eight games, a stretch where they have went 5-3, they have outscored opponents by 1.6 points per game at the stripe.
On the season they have outscored their opponent at the line just six times, but they have done so in three of their last four games. The Eagles are 4-2 when outscoring their opponent at the charity stripe. They have also improved their percentages at the line. They shot .671 from line in the first ten games, but are shooting .778 in their last eight.
Their two-point win over Tennessee State marked the Eagles' first margin of victory of less than five points on the season. They are 4-10 in games decided by 20 points or less and 3-1 in games decided by 21-plus points.
The game on Thursday night will air live on the OVC Digital Network and you can listen to Chuck Mraz call the action on the Eagles Sports Network.
