OVC Showdown: League's Top 2 Teams, Morehead State and Belmont, Square Off Saturday

By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations

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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Ohio Valley Conference's top two teams are set for a showdown in Nashville, Tenn., Saturday afternoon when Morehead State men's basketball visits Belmont. Tip off in the Curb Event Center is set for 5 p.m. ET.

The rise of these two teams has gained national prominence. Morehead State enters with a 16-6 overall mark and a 13-2 OVC slate, having won 12 straight games to tie the program record for longest winning streak. Belmont is 21-1 overall and 15-0 in the league, on the cusp of getting into the national top 25. The Bruins have won 25 straight OVC games.

The matchup with Belmont will mark just the third time in the last 25 seasons two Division I teams with at least a 12-game win streak will face each other in the regular season (KenPomeroy.com). MSU will be looking for its first-ever win at Belmont.

The game will air live on ESPN+ as well as MSUEagles.com (WIVY-96.3 FM audio).

LAST TIME AGAINST BELMONT (Full Recap | Box Score)
Morehead State men's basketball lit up the nets for 61 percent in the second half and 46 percent overall on Feb. 20, 2020, but the Eagles could not limit the visiting Belmont Bruins on their offensive end as the Eagles fell 80-67 at Johnson Arena. The Eagles (12-16/6-9 OVC) hit 17 of their 28 shots in the final half, but the Bruins (20-7/12-3 OVC) were equally as en fuego. They hit 18 of 30 in the final half and shot 32 of 60 overall (53 percent). Five Eagles scored in double figures, led by freshman forward Tyzhaun Claude with 14 points, his fifth straight double-figure game.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Record vs. Belmont: 2-15

First Meeting: Jan. 24, 2013 (BEL won 64-63)

Streak: BEL, 8 games

Record in Nashville: 0-8

Record in Morehead: 2-6

Last 5 Meetings

2/17/18 Nashville, Tenn. L 108-65

1/10/19 Nashville, Tenn. L 77-60

2/9/19 MOREHEAD, KY. L 96-86

1/18/20 Nashville, Tenn. L 77-59

2/20/20 MOREHEAD, KY. L 80-67

NOTABLE

• Morehead State has tied its program record for winning streak at 12 games. The Eagles have equaled the Wayne Martin-coached 1983-84 squad for longest win streak. That team won the OVC and played in the NCAA Tournament. The Eagles can also set the program for longest OVC road winning streak, held by the 2002-03 and 1983-84 squads and tied by this year's team.

• Freshman forward Johni Broome has earned six OVC Freshman of the Week honors. Broome's six awards trails only Ricky Minard (2000-01) and Erik Brown (1998-99) for the program record of seven for Freshman of the Week Awards.

• Johni Broome has 166 rebounds, which leads all OVC freshmen and ranks 4th among ALL Division I freshmen. Depending on his final five regular season games and the number of postseason contests, Broome could challenge for the MSU freshman record for rebounds, held by Kenneth Faried (241 - 2007-08).

• Junior guard Skyelar Potter averaged 16.2 points and shot 55 percent (29-of-53) overall in his last five games. He also hit 44 percent from three-point range, 80 percent at the free throw line and grabbed 6.6 rebounds per outing during that quintet of games.

• Morehead State jumped up seven spots to 18th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll this week. It's the first time since 2010-11 the Eagles have been ranked in this poll. Of the Eagles' six losses, four came to teams ranked in the AP top 25 poll or receiving votes at the time.

• The Eagles have held four opponents - Murray State (23), UT Martin (22), Southeast Missouri (19) and Jacksonville State (26) - to their lowest point totals for a half in a game. And MSU has limited five foes - Eastern Kentucky (62), Tennessee Tech (54), SEMO (50), JSU (55) and UTM (44) - to their lowest overall point totals in a league game.

• In the past seven games, Morehead State owns a +15 scoring margin, averaging 75.9 points and shooting 51 percent combined from the field. Six Eagles have managed to shoot higher than 50 percent during that span.

• Morehead State's 16 victories are the most of any team in any Division - NCAA, NAIA, NJCAA - in the state of Kentucky.

• Morehead State ranks first in the OVC (league games only) in: scoring defense (60.3), FG pct. defense (.390), 3-pt defense (.288), rebound margin (+8.5), rebound defense (29.6) and blocks (4.9).

• Sophomore guard Ta'lon Cooper got his first starting assignment in OVC games at Tennessee State and responded with season-highs of 17 points, seven assists and four steals. Steals was also a career best.

• Morehead State has shot more, and made more, free throws than its opponent in nine consecutive games.

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