GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State's men's basketball team will meet its longest-running non-conference rival, Marshall, on Saturday night in Huntington, W.Va. The 102nd all-time meeting between the Eagles and Thundering Herd is set for a 7 p.m. ET tip-off at the Cam Henderson Center.
Marshall has moved to the Sun Belt Conference after being a long-time member of Conference USA.
The long-running (but sometimes off and on) series began in 1940. Both teams have seen the most success against each other on their home courts recently. Morehead State has won five of the previous seven times the teams have played in Johnson Arena but the Eagles are just 1-5 at Marshall since 2002.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (
WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz. It is also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner
WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. The game will also be on ESPN+.
2022-23 RECORDS
MSU: 3-3 | MAR: 4-1
SERIES RECORD
Record vs. Marshall: 47-54
First Meeting: 2/16/40 Marshall won 42-31 at MSU
Last Meeting: 12/16/19 Marshall won 89-62 at MSU
Streak: Marshall, 2 games
Record vs. Marshall in Huntington, W.Va.: 18-31
Record vs. Marshall in Morehead: 28-22
Neutral Record: 1-1
NOTABLE
• The winner of this game retains the Ellis Johnson trophy. Ellis T. Johnson, MSU's arena namesake, coached from 1936-53 at Morehead State. He led the Thundering Herd from 1963-69.
• Among the 8 Division I men's basketball programs in Kentucky, Morehead State ranks first in wins in the last three seasons - 49.
• Morehead State's 114 points generated Tuesday in the win over Kentucky State was the highest scoring output since scoring 120 against Asbury (Ky.) on Dec. 28, 2016 - making it the second highest point total in head coach
Preston Spradlin's tenure leading the program.
• With six players scoring in double figures against Kentucky State, that marked the second game this season that six players had reached double figures - also occurring against Campbellsville-Harrodsburg.
•
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.
•
Alex Gross has a pair of double-doubles this season. The 6-10 forward had 40 double-doubles just in his final two seasons at Olivet Nazarene (Ill.).
•
Branden Maughmer (pronounced MOFF-mer) registered his second MSU 20-point effort against Kentucky State. A transfer from DII Cedarville (Ohio), Maughmer's career college totals now include 1,769 points and 47 percent career field goal accuracy.
• Norfolk State transfer
Jalen Hawkins made his Eagle debut against Kentucky State and impressed with 18 points and four three-pointers.
• Freshman
Trent Scott made his first career start against KSU and nearly had a double-double, tying his career high with 10 points and handing out nine assists - the highest assist total for any Eagle this year.
•
Kalil Thomas, a transfer from UMass-Lowell, set his career high against KSU, scoring 21 points off the bench in just 18 minutes.
• Morehead State has out-rebounded 50 opponents in the past three seasons and won 41 of those games.
• Morehead State ranks second in the OVC in rebounding margin (+5.0) and third in the OVC in scoring defense (66.8).
• 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.
• Head coach
Preston Spradlin needs five 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.
