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MOREHEAD, Ky. – Coming off a Thursday victory and hitting the floor for the final time at Johnson Arena during the 2020-21 season, Morehead State women's basketball closes the regular season, hosting Belmont Saturday.

The Eagles enter after defeating Tennessee State 60-52 Thursday evening to open the final homestand of the 2020-21 campaign, extending the team's winning streak over the Lady Tigers to nine games.

Redshirt sophomore Gabby Crawford paced Morehead State Thursday, posting a career-high-tying 19 points—the second time in as many games she's dropped 19 against Tennessee State—using a career-high nine made field goals. She also chipped in a game-high nine boards, leading the Eagles to a 42-24 advantage on the glass.

Over her past eight games, Crawford has scored in double-figures on seven occasions, including in each of the past two games. She's totaled eight double-doubles this season—tying for the league lead—as she averages a near double-double for the year, averaging 12.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

While Crawford was the only Eagle to reach double-digits in the victory versus Tennessee State, seven players scored five or more points for Morehead State in the game.

Defensively, Morehead State swiped nine steals against the Lady Tigers with Crawford and sophomore Lai'Janique Perry-Ellis each tallying a career-high three steals each. The Eagles also rejected six shots as sophomore Ariel Kirkwood totaled a game-high four rejections.

Saturday's game also marks Senior Day for the Eagles as the team honors Jazzmyn Elston and Ellie Jo Johnson prior to the game.

Tip-off is set for 1 p.m. ET with the game airing on ESPN+ and the Kentucky Office of Highway Safety Eagle Sports Network (MSUEagles.com and WIVY-96.3 FM).

INSIDE THE SERIES
Records: Morehead State (7-15; 6-12 OVC) | Belmont (16-5; 13-3 OVC)
Series: Belmont leads 17-3
Last Five Meetings: Feb. 13, 2021 (BEL 74, MOR 49) | Feb. 20, 2020 (BEL 63, MOR 56) | Jan. 18, 2020 (BEL 71, MOR 62) | Feb. 9, 2019 (BEL 77, MOR 57) | Jan. 10, 2019 (BEL 77, MOR 50)

NOTABLE
Redshirt sophomore Gabby Crawford led Morehead State Thursday versus Tennessee State with a career-high-tying 19 points behind a career-high nine made field goals while also swiping a career-high three steals. The game marked the second time in as many games against the Lady Tigers that she's poured in a career-high point total.
 
Despite falling a rebound shy of her ninth double-double of the season, Crawford still ranks atop the Ohio Valley Conference in the category, ranking 38^th in the NCAA. Entering the final game of the season, she shares the league lead with Southeast Missouri's LaTrese Saine and Murray State's Katelyn Young.
 
Crawford also enters the season finale ranked second in the conference in rebounding, averaging 8.8 boards per contest. She's joined in the top-10 in the OVC in rebounding by sophomore Ariel Kirkwood who ranks tied for sixth in the league at 7.0 rebounds per game.
 
Corralling 193 rebounds over 22 games this season, Crawford ranks fourth in the conference and 33^rd in the nation in total rebounds. Kirkwood ranks sixth in the league with 154 boards in 22 games.
 
With both Crawford and Kirkwood ranked in the top-10 in the OVC in rebounding, Morehead State is one of two teams with a pair of players in the top-10 in the category and one of two teams with multiple players pulling down seven or more boards per game.
 
After recording a team-high four blocks versus Tennessee State, Kirkwood ranks 10^th in the NCAA and second in the OVC in blocked shots, rejecting 55 in 22 games this season. Her 2.50 ranks 22^nd in the country and second in the conference.
 
Kirkwood isn't the only Eagle to rank in the top-10 in the OVC in blocked shots as the Eagles rank four in the top-10 in the category, being the only program in the conference with three or more players ranked. Joining Kirkwood in the top-10 are Crawford (35), redshirt sophomore Lauren Carter (26), and junior Ellie Jo Johnson (18) who rank third, sixth, and tied for seventh, respectively.
 
Morehead State leads the OVC in blocked shots and blocked shots per game, ranking third and fourth in the NCAA in the two categories. This season, the Eagles have totaled 148 rejections over 22 games, averaging 6.7 per game.
 
2020-21 marks the seventh consecutive season—all under head coach Greg Todd—Morehead State that Morehead State has reached 100 or more blocked shots in a season. The Eagles are the only team in the OVC to have achieved this honor while also being the only program over the past five seasons to finish in the top-five in the conference in blocked shots each season.
 
Over the past seven seasons, Morehead State has led the OVC in blocked shots in each of the past six seasons and led the league in blocks per game in five of the past six seasons. In Todd's first season as Morehead State's head coach (2014-15), the Eagles finished second in the league in both categories, finishing lower than the league leader on one other occasion, finishing second in blocked shots per game in 2017-18.
 
Johnson enters the season finale ranked fifth in the conference in free throw percentage, shooting 80 percent on the season. She's made 72 of 90 attempts at the charity stripe this season while being one of five players in the league to shoot 80 percent or better from the free throw line.
 
Ranking just behind Johnson in free throw percentage is Crawford who slots sixth in the league, shooting 79.2 percent from the free throw line. On the season, she's converted 80-of-101 attempts at the charity stripe, ranking fourth in the league in free throw attempts and fifth in free throws made.
 
Crawford and Johnson also rank highly in the OVC in average free throws made and free throw attempts, ranking fifth and tied for seventh, respectively, in the two categories. Crawford enters Saturday's game averaging 3.6 makes in 4.6 attempts per game while Johnson averages 3.3 makes in 4.1 attempts per contest.
 
Dishing out three assists versus Tennessee State Thursday, Kirkwood has recorded 64 assists on the season, a total that ranks tied for ninth in the OVC. At 2.9 assists per game, Kirkwood ranks tied for 10^th in the OVC, recording three or more assists in a game on 10 occasions this season.
 
Saturday's game versus Belmont marks Senior Day for the Eagles as the women's basketball program honors Jazzmyn Elston and Ellie Jo Johnson before the pair's final game at Johnson Arena.