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MOREHEAD, Ky. – After seeing Mother Nature and inclement weather postpone the lone home game in a long stretch of road games, Morehead State women's basketball continues its season-long road trip Thursday afternoon at UT Martin.

The Eagles seek to build upon their two best shooting performances from the early leg of the team's road swing. Morehead State posted a season-best field goal percentage at Tennessee State last Thursday, shooting 44.9 percent from the floor. The game built upon the team's 43.1 shooting percentage against Jacksonville State to open the road trip.

Morehead State's rematch with UT Martin comes after redshirt sophomore Lauren Carter and sophomore Ariel Kirkwood dropped 17 points apiece using career-best performances. Carter tied a career-high in the first game versus the Skyhawks with six made field goals while Kirkwood sank a career-best three made threes.

The Eagles' first meeting with UT Martin also featured the team's best performance from the free throw line, posting a 90 percent free throw percentage, making 18-of-20 attempts.

Morehead State also enters Thursday's matchup with redshirt sophomore Gabby Crawford in the midst of a five-game streak of double-figure games, posting a team-best 15 points last time out against Belmont. She's also posted two of her seven double-doubles in the streak, ranking second in the OVC in double-doubles on the season.

Thursday's game features a 6:00 p.m. ET tip-off and airs on both ESPN+ and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Eagle Sports Network (MSUEagles.com).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Records: Morehead State (6-13; 5-10 OVC) | UT Martin (14-4; 13-2 OVC)
Series: Morehead State leads 28-26
Last Five Meetings: Jan. 23, 2021 (UTM 80, MOR 63) | Feb. 1, 2020 (UTM 82, MOR 64) | March 8, 2019 (UTM 68, MOR 58) | Jan. 19, 2019 (MOR 85, UTM 75) | Feb. 22, 2018 (MOR 88, UTM 75)

NOTABLE
Behind a team-best 15 points versus Belmont, redshirt sophomore Gabby Crawford secured her fifth-consecutive game scoring in double-figures and her 13th game with 10 or more points this season. Her five-game streak of double-digit points is the longest for an Eagle since teammate Jazzmyn Elston closed the 2019-20 season with a five-game streak.

Picking up a pair of double-doubles in her five-game double-figure scoring streak, Crawford now owns seven double-doubles on the season. She ranks second in the conference in double-doubles, ranking 42nd in the NCAA, sitting one double-double shy of the conference leader.

Pulling down an average of 8.7 boards per game, Crawford ranks fourth in the OVC in rebounding. Teaming with sophomore Ariel Kirkwood (7.3 rebounds per game), Crawford and Kirkwood make Morehead State one of two teams in the OVC with two players among the top-10 in the conference in rebounding.

Crawford and Kirkwood don't just lead Morehead State in rebounding as the duo also rank second and third in the Ohio Valley Conference and 14th and 35th in the NCAA, respectively, in blocked shots. The duo leads a quartet of Eagles ranked in the top-10 in the league in shot-blocking, being joined by redshirt sophomore Lauren Carter and junior Ellie Jo Johnson who rank sixth and seventh, respectively.

With four players ranked in the top-10 in the conference in shot-blocking, Morehead State is the only team in the OVC to have three or more players placed in the top-10. Only one other program—UT Martin—has two players ranked in the top-10.

Morehead State has rejected 133 shot attempts over 19 games this season, averaging 7.0 blocks per game. Both totals lead the OVC while ranking third in the nation. The Eagles sit behind Oklahoma State and South Carolina in both categories.

In addition to ranking 14th in the country in blocked shots, Kirkwood also ranks in the top-30 in the nation in blocked shots per game. At 2.42 blocks per contest, she ranks 27th in the NCAA.

Against Belmont, Morehead State also secured its 17th game of the season shooting 15 or more free throws, attempting 15 shots from the charity stripe. Converting on 12-of-15 attempts, the Eagles' 80 percent shooting clip marked the 10th time this season the team has shot 80 percent or better from the line.

As a team, Morehead State has converted 279-of-372 free throw attempts, shooting 75.0 percent from the line. The Eagles rank 27th in the NCAA in free throw attempts and 18th in the nation in free throws made while ranking second in the OVC in both categories. The team's 75.0 free throw percentage ranks fourth in the conference and 46th in the NCAA.

The Eagles also rank second in the conference in average free throw attempts and free throw makes per game. Over 19 games, Morehead State averages 14.7 makes and 19.6 attempts per game from the charity stripe.

Individually, Crawford ranks third in the OVC in both free throw attempts and free throws made, ranking 47th and 36th in the country, respectively. She's converted 77-of-96 attempts this season with her 80.2 free throw percentage ranking eighth in the conference.

Shooting 80.7 percent from the line this season, Johnson ranks just ahead of Crawford on the OVC leaderboard, ranking seventh. She's made 67 of 83 attempts this year, ranking seventh and sixth in the league, respectively, in the two categories.

The duo also combined to both rank top-10 in the OVC in average free throws made and attempted per game. Crawford ranks second in both categories, averaging 4.1 makes in 5.1 attempts per contest with Johnson's 4.4 attempts per game tie for sixth and her 3.5 makes per game rank seventh.

Morehead State also continues to rank highly in the OVC in three-point field goal defense, ranking third in the conference and 42nd in the nation in the category. This season, the Eagles have held opponents to 27.0 percent shooting from deep with opponents going 110-of-408 from long range.