By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
GAME NOTES (PDF) | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State's men's basketball team hasn't been defeated at home since November, and the Eagles will look to keep that streak alive Saturday when Jacksonville State visits for a 3:35 p.m. ET contest.
The game will air on ESPN+ and be on the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Eagle Sports Network on WIVY-96.3 FM.
Morehead State is riding a four-game winning streak overall and has improved to 8-12 and 4-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Eagles will face a stiff test from one of the league's top teams in JSU. Despite a 6-1 conference mark, the Gamecocks are vulnerable as evidenced by an 88-70 setback at Eastern Kentucky Thursday.
MSU is in the midst of a stretch of eight of 10 OVC games at home. The Eagles will be back on the road next weekend at SIU Edwardsville and Eastern Illinois.
GAME NOTES
SUITS AND SNEAKERS
As part of the Coaches vs. Cancer and Suits and Sneakers Week initiative, Morehead State's staff wore tennis shoes with their sideline suits Thursday evening against Tennessee Tech and will once again wear the sneakers and suits today.Â
THE SERIES WITH THE GAMECOCKS
Morehead State owns a 23-12 advantage in its series with Jacksonville State, which began in 1998-99. Jacksonville State has won three straight times in meetings in Morehead, but overall MSU still has the recent upperhand, winning seven of the last 11 contests versus JSU.
UP AT THE HALF? LEADING WITH LESS THAN 5? = WINNING
Morehead State has shown a propensity for success when it gains a halftime lead and when it holds the lead with five minutes remaining. The Eagles are 7-2 when ahead after 20 minutes of action, and MSU is 6-1 if it holds a lead with five minutes left. The Eagles are also successful if they can hold their foe to less than 70 points; They are 4-0 there.
TRENDS AND TIDBITS
Lamontray Harris is 14-of-16 (.875) from the floor in the last two games and averaged 17.5 points in the last four outings ...
Jordan Walker now has seven games scoring at least 20 points ... Morehead State's four-game winning streak is its first such four-game success streak since winning that many in a row Jan. 28-Feb. 11, 2017 ... During the four-game winning streak, Morehead State has nailed 48 percent from the floor and 45 percent (35-of-78) from three-point range ...
Jordan Walker and
De'Von Cooper have combined to hit 20-of-37 (.540) from three-point range in the last four games.
HOME COURT ADVANTAGE
Morehead State has now rattled off five consecutive home game victories. It's the longest home-game winning streak since winning the final six in Johnson Arena in 2015-16 and the first in 2016-17.
3-POINT STREAK CONTINUES ON
Morehead State has hit at least one three-pointer in 392 consecutive games, dating back to 2007 when the Eagles were held without a made one from beyond the arc against Jacksonville State.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MAN
Lamontray Harris now has eight double-doubles this season, ranking second in the OVC in that category along with Jacksonville State's Jason Burnell. Harris also now has 16 career double-doubles.
HE CAN TASTE IT
Lamontray Harris has 966 career points, needing just 34 more to become the 33rd member of the 1,000 point club. He would be the first 1,000-point scorer since Brent Arrington joined the club in 2015-16.
DISHING DIMES
A.J. Hicks has dished out at least one assist in all 49 games of his two-year career. This season he ranks second in the OVC with 114 total helpers and has 11 games with at least five assists. Hicks has 29 assists in his last three games, setting his career high with 11 helpers against Southeast Missouri and tying it versus UT Martin.
BLOCKING BAKER
Sophomore
James Baker has blocked 10 shots just in the last four games and leads the team with 22 rejections this season.
LONG RANGE SHARPSHOOTER
Jordan Walker has reached double figures in the scoring column in 11 of the last 12 games after a stretch of three straight in November under 10. The Indianapolis, Ind., junior is the OVC leader in three-point field goal percentage (among those who have attempted at least 50) by nailing 44 percent (48-of-110) from long range. Walker led the conference in three-point accuracy as a freshman and hits 41 percent for his 79-game career.
