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Men's Basketball Returns to FamilyLeisure.com Court to Battle Kentucky State

11/21/2022 11:44:00 AM

GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS) | TICKETS

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State's men's basketball team returns to Johnson Arena and FamilyLeisure.com Court Tuesday to take on the Kentucky Stare Thorobreds. Game time is 7 p.m. ET following the Eagle women's contest vs. Spadling (Ky.).

Kentucky State is a Division II member and in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. KSU is 1-0 officially this year.

Morehead State met Kentucky State in an exhibition last year (MSU won 89-43), but prior to that the previous meeting was all the back on Feb. 11, 1969 - a span of 19,642 days from then until tipoff. The Thorobreds won the first-ever meeting in 1965 but MSU has won the other five.

The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Drew Barnette. It is also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. The game will be on ESPN+. Jared Stacy and Dean Hardin are the talent for TV.

2022-23 RECORDS
MSU: 2-2 | VU: 1-2

SERIES RECORD
Record vs. Kentucky State: 5-1
First Meeting: 12/9/65 KSU won 87-82 at MSU
Last Meeting: 2/11/69 MSU won 69-62 at KSU
Streak: MSU, 5 games
Record vs. KSU in Frankfort, Ky.: 3-0
Record vs. KSU in Morehead: 2-1
Neutral Record: 0-0

NOTABLE
• Among the 8 Division I men's basketball programs in Kentucky, Morehead State ranks first in wins in the last three seasons - 48. Among all 27 college programs in the Bluegrass State, only one - Thomas More - had more wins (48) than the Eagles in 2020-21 and 2021-22. 

Drew Thelwell ranks second on the team in rebounds (5.2) so far in 2022-23 and posted his first career double-double (11 pts, 10 rbs) at Vanderbilt. Thelwell's previous career-best in rebonds was five.

• Graduate transfer Alex Gross came to MSU with lofty career totals from his four years at Olivet Nazarene (Ill.). He was a three-time NAIA All-American and finished there with 2,021 points, 1,226 rebounds, 426 assists and 363 blocked shots. He earned the NAIA men's basketball CoSIDA Academic All-American of the Year award in 2021-22.

Alex Gross is one of just four current players on Division I teams to score 2,000+ career points in college. He is the only player in Division I to record 2,000+ points AND 1,200+ career rebounds in college.

• Morehead State was selected No. 1 in the preseason Ohio Valley Conference vote of coaches and media relations personnel. Senior guard Mark Freeman was selected to the Preseason All-OVC Team.

Branden Maughmer (pronounced MOFF-mer) exploded for 20 points, seven rebounds and five assists against CU-Harrodsburg. In his college career, he now has 1,749 points and 427 assists. He needs just 73 assists to achieve 1,700+ career points AND 500+ career assists.

• Morehead State has out-rebounded 49 opponents in the past three seasons and won 40 of those games.

LJ Bryan is hitting 75 percent from the field this season and 60 percent for his Eagle career.

• Both Alex Gross and Drew Thelwell have scored in double figures in four of the first five games.

• Morehead State ranks third in the OVC in scoring defense (70.4). 

• The Eagles' .813 free throw percentage at West Virginia was the best efficiency in a game (with 10+ attempts) since hitting 92 percent in the OVC Tournament Championship game win over Belmont on March 6, 2021.

• MSU ranks second in the OVC in free throw accuracy, hitting 73 percent from the line so far this year.

• Head coach Preston Spradlin needs six wins to become the sixth head coach in program history to lead his teams to 100+ wins. Spradlin is just the second head coach in program history to lead his teams to back-to-back 20-win seasons.

• Spradlin and staff signed four student-athletes in the early signing period, ranking among the top classes in program history. The newest Eagles for next season are: Mekhi Grant (6-9, Charlotte, N.C.), Eddie Ricks III (6-7, Clarksville, Tenn.), George Marshall (6-4, Jackson, Miss.) and Jerone Morton (6-4, Winchester, Ky.). All four rank in the top 5 in their position group in their home states according to Prep Hoops or Rivals.
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