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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Coming off a midweek game that saw the team hit a season-high 11 three-pointers, Morehead State women's basketball treks to the Land of Lincoln for the beginning of a two-game set with the Ohio Valley Conference's Illinois contingent. The Eagles (2-7; 1-4 OVC) open the road trip in Charleston, Ill., for a date with Eastern Illinois (4-7; 2-4).

Morehead State enters the weekend after a Monday tilt at Murray State, decided late, fell the way of the Racers 69-62. Of the Eagles' 11 made threes in the contest, eight were drained by redshirt senior Tyler Moore, setting a career-high for threes made in a game, who finished the game with a season-high 24 points.

Moore was joined in double-figures by redshirt sophomore Gabby Crawford who added 14 points while also finishing a rebound shy of her team-leading fourth double-double. Tuesday morning, Crawford was named the OVC's Newcomer of the Week, her second recognition this season, after averaging a double-double, averaging 11.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per contest last week against Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State.

In addition to entering the weekend featuring the conference's Newcomer of the Week, Morehead State also enters as the league's top shot-blocking team. The Eagles continue to lead the NCAA in blocked shots per game, averaging 7.8 rejections per contest, while ranking second in the country in total blocks with 70. Sophomore Ariel Kirkwood ranks fourth in the nation in both blocked shots and blocked shots per game, blocking 32 shots in nine games, an average of 3.56 per game.

The Eagles also enter the meeting with Eastern Illinois as one of the league's best at defending the three-point arc, ranking second in the OVC and 26th in the country in three-point field goal defense. This season, have held opponents to a 24.1 percent clip from three, including holding Murray State to 21.4 percent (3-of-14) from three on Monday, the second-lowest three-point field goal percentage for the Racers this season.

Thursday's game features a 5:30 p.m. ET tip-off and airs on both ESPN+ and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Eagle Sports Network (MSUEagles.com or WIVY-96.3 FM).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Records: Morehead State (2-7; 1-4 OVC) | Eastern Illinois (4-7; 2-4 OVC)
Series: Morehead State leads 21-19
Last Five Meetings: Feb. 8, 2020 (EIU 67, MOR 62) | Jan. 11, 2020 (EIU 57, MOR 51) | Feb. 2, 2019 (MOR 67, EIU 57) | Jan. 4, 2018 (MOR 89, EIU 81) | Jan. 5, 2017 (MOR 66, EIU 62)

NOTABLE
After averaging a double-double in games last week versus Tennessee Tech and Jacksonville State, Gabby Crawford earned her second Ohio Valley Conference Newcomer of the Week honor. In two games, she averaged 11.5 points and 14.5 rebounds per game, being the only player to average a double-double in the league last week.

With her second selection of the season, Crawford ensures that Morehead State has had a player claim a pair of OVC Newcomer of the Week honors for the fourth consecutive season. She joins Jazzmyn Elston as Eagles on the 2020-21 roster to have claimed multiple Newcomer of the Week honors.

Hitting eight threes in Monday's game at Murray State, Tyler Moore recorded the most three-point makes for an Eagle since Feb. 18, 2017, when Darianne Seward made seven at Belmont. She's also the first player since Allie Turner on Feb. 18, 2013, to make eight threes in a game for Morehead State.

Shooting 42.3 percent from behind the arc, Monday's game against Murray State marked the first time since Jan. 9, 2020, that the Eagles shot 40 percent or better from three on a minimum of 10 attempts and marked the second time this season (44.4 [4-of-9] vs. Bowling Green) that the Eagles have shot 40 percent or better from beyond the arc.

Monday's game also marked the first time Morehead State had drained 10 or more shots from beyond the arc since draining 11-of-24 threes at Murray State on Jan. 3, 2019.

Behind a career-high seven assists versus Murray State, Ariel Kirkwood passed out the most helpers by an Eagle since Aliyah Jeune totaled eight assists at Tennessee State on Jan. 12, 2019.

Morehead State enters the weekend as the OVC's top shot-blocking team, leading the NCAA in blocks per game (7.8) and ranking second in the country with 70 total blocks. The Eagles trail only Oklahoma State, who have blocked 82 shots in 11 games, for the nation's lead.

Kirkwood leads the OVC and ranks fourth in the country in both total blocks and blocks per game. On the season, she's rejected 32 shots, an average of 3.56 per contest. For her career, she's tallied 114 blocks, ranking sixth all-time in program history.

As the OVC's top shot-blocking team, Morehead State is the only program in the conference to place three players among the league's top-10 in blocked shots per game and the only team to place four players among the league's top-15. Joining Kirkwood are Crawford (third; 1.4), Lauren Carter (seventh; 1.1), and Ellie Jo Johnson (13th; 0.7).

Morehead State is also one of the top rebounding teams in the OVC. The Eagles' 40.33 rebounds per game rank second in the OVC while the team's 363 total boards rank third. Additionally, Morehead State ranks fourth in the conference in rebounding margin, out-rebounding its opponents on the glass by an average of 1.3 rebounds per contest.

Morehead State also enters the weekend as the only team in the OVC to place three players among the league's top-10 in rebounding along with being the only team in the conference with three players grabbing seven or more rebounds per contest. Crawford ranks second in the league, averaging 9.0 rebounds per game, while Kirkwood (7.9) ranks seventh and Carter (7.2) ninth.

The Eagles are also amongst the OVC's best in reaching the free throw line, ranking second in the conference with an average of 20.2 trips to the charity stripe a game. Overall, Morehead State has reached the line 182 times, a total that ranks third in the league, making 130 free throws to rank fourth in the conference.

Crawford leads the OVC in both free throw attempts and free throws made, ranking 40th and 38th, respectively, in the two categories. She's had 57 attempts from the charity stripe this season, converting 43 free throws. Crawford also leads the league with an average of 6.3 free throw attempts and 4.7 free throw makes a game.

Defensively, Morehead State also ranks as one of the top teams in the OVC in defending the three-point arc, holding opponents to a 24.1 three-point field goal percentage, ranking second in the OVC and 26th in the country. Against Murray State, the Eagles held the Racers to 3-or-14 (21.4 percent) from three, the second-lowest three-point field goal percentage for Murray State this season.