By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
GAME NOTES (PDF) | WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- After playing much of December on the road, the bus has been unfamiliar for the Morehead State men's basketball team in the new year, with eight of the first 10 OVC games at home. However, this week, the Eagles will be on the bus headed to a frigid Illinois for a pair of games. The trip starts off with a contest at SIU Edwardsville at 8 p.m. ET Thursday.
As always with OVC games, it will air live on ESPN+ and also be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network on WIVY-96.3 FM.
Morehead State had a highly successful homestand, winning three of four games the last two weeks. That has upped the Eagles to 8-13 overall and 4-4 in the OVC. Meanwhile, the Cougars sit at 6-14 overall and 2-6 in the league. While the record may not indicate it, SIUE has been competitive, losing three overtime games this year and winning a triple overtime contest as well.
Following Thursday's action, the Eagles will head further north to take on Eastern Illinois Saturday.
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES WITH THE COUGARS
Morehead State owns an 8-2 advantage in the all-time series with the Cougars. The teams began playing in 2009-10. MSU and SIUE have only met once a season since 2011-12 due to the OVC's "divisional" scheduling. MSU had won six games in a row over SIUE before the Cougars took the game 70-65 last season. MSU's only other loss in the series came at Edwardsville.
TAKE A FREE RIDE
Morehead State's 91 percent (10-of-11) free throw accuracy against Jacksonville State on Jan. 26 was the best in game since hitting 12-of-13 (.923) against Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 21, 2017, two seasons ago. It also marked the third best free throw shooting effort in the last six seasons.
TRENDS AND TIDBITS
Lamontray Harris has scored in double figures in six consecutive games and 10 of his last 11 ... In that span Harris has two 20-point efforts and three 19-point outputs ...
A.J. Hicks averaged 8.3 assists per game in the last four contests, including two 11-assist games in a row at home ... In a span of 46 days here in January and February, this is the Eagles' only road trip, so just a total of four days away from Morehead in a 46-day period ...
Jordan Walker has reached double-figures in points in 12 of the last 13 games ... In the last four games, Walker is 18-of-20 (.900) from the free throw line.Â
1K UP NEXT
Lamontray Harris has 981 career points, needing just 19 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.
3-POINT STREAK CONTINUES ON
Morehead State has hit at least one three-pointer in 393 consecutive games, dating back to 2007 when the Eagles were held without a made one from beyond the arc against Jacksonville State.
LONG RANGE SHARPSHOOTERS
Jordan Walker and
De'Von Cooper have been incredibly accurate from three-point range this season in games versus league competition. Walker and Cooper are both hitting 46Â percent from outside against the OVC teams.Â
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MAN
Lamontray Harris now has eight double-doubles this season, ranking third in the OVC in that category behind Murray State's Ja Morant and Jacksonville State's Jason Burnell. Harris also now has 16 career double-doubles.
DISHING DIMES
A.J. Hicks has dished out at least one assist in all 50 games of his two-year career. This season he ranks second in the OVC with 121 total helpers and has 12 games with at least five assists. Hicks has 33 assists in his last four games, setting his career high with 11 helpers against Southeast Missouri and tying it versus UT Martin.
SMART WITH THE BALL
In addition to ranking among the OVC's leaders in assists, A. J. Hicks also boasts a nearly 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
BLOCKING BAKER
Sophomore
James Baker has recorded at least one blocked shot in five straight games and has 11 rejections in that span.
FOUND OUR COMBOLamontray Harris has now started 50 consecutive games, hearing his name called before game all 21 times this year and all 29 last season.
