Final Regular Season Week Opens With Men's Hoops at Eastern Illinois Thursday

By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations

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

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The final week of the 2021-22 OVC men's basketball regular season is upon us, with the Morehead State men making the trip to the Land of Lincoln. First up is a matchup at Eastern Illinois set for 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday evening.

Morehead State has secured at least a top three seeding for the OVC Tournament in Evansville, Ind., next week and at least a bye into the quarterfinals. The Eagles still have a mathematical shot at No. 2 if they win their final two games, Belmont loses its final two and Tennessee State finishes ahead of Southeast Missouri in the standings. It marks the first time since 2015-16 and 2016-17 that MSU is a top three seed in back-to-back seasons.

The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Tom Lewis. It's also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. ESPN+ will have the game live as well.

2021-22 RECORDS
MOR: 20-9 (12-4 OVC) | EIU: 5-24 (3-13 OVC)

SERIES RECORD

Record vs. EIU: 18-26

First Meeting: 12/14/81 MSU won 79-77 at MSU

Last Meeting: 12/29/21 MSU won 63-50 at MSU

Streak: MSU, 2 games

Record in Charleston, Ill.: 6-15

Record in Morehead: 12-11

Neutral Record: 0-0

NOTABLE

• Morehead State will strive for the program's first-ever wins in back-to-back seasons at Eastern Illinois. The Eagles have won two straight in games played in Lantz Arena before but not in consecutive seasons. Morehead State will also be searching for the second-ever season sweep over EIU in program history, occurring last back in 2011-12.

• Morehead State's 20 wins marks the first back-to-back 20-win campaigns since three in a row from 2008-09 through 2010-11. Head coach Preston Spradlin joins Donnie Tyndall as the only coaches to lead teams to back to back 20-win seasons at MSU. This year also marks just the ninth 20-win result in program history.

• Johni Broome's 12 blocked shots at UT Martin on Feb. 16 tied Ron Nicholson's single-game school record he set in 1972 at Toledo. Broome tied Nicholson exactly 50 years and seven days later. The 12 bocks also is tied with Auburn's Walker Kessler for the most in a Division I game this season an was officially just one short of former Youngstown State 7-footer Ricky Tunstall's OVC single-game record.

• Johni Broome has set the Morehead State single-season record for blocked shots, now with 116. He surpassed Ron Nicholson's mark of 115, set 50 years ago in 1971-72. He ranks third in the nation in total blocks and blocks per game. His 116 are the most for an OVC player since Tennessee Tech's Lorenzo Coleman swatted away 123 in 1994-95.

• Johni Broome has gone above 300 rebounds for the season and became just the 12th player in program history to secure 300+ rebounds in a season. With repeats, it has only happened on 18 occasions in program history as well (Kenneth Faried and Steve Hamilton three times each). He is the first 300+ rebounder since Chad Posthumus' 370 in 2013-14.

• Johni Broome's 21 double-doubles ranks second in the nation, only behind the 23 by Utah Valley's Fardaws Aimaq. He has the most double-doubles for an Eagle since the program record of 28 by Kenneth Faried in 2010-11 and the most for an OVC player since Austin Peay's Chris Horton (25) in 2015-16.

• Ta'Lon Cooper has handed out 178 assists this season, which ranks third in Division I in total assists. His season total is the fourth highest in program history. Cooper's career assist total stands at 383, which ranks him fifth in program history as only four Eagles have ever registered 400+ assists (Marquis Sykes, Ricky Minard, Howard Wallen and Demonte Harper).

• Tray Hollowell's three-point string has climbed to 35 straight games. Hollowell is attempting to become the first MSU player in program history to hit at least one three-pointer in every game he appears in during a single season.

• Jaylon Hall erupted for a season (and career) high 21 points against SEMO. His six three-pointers made is the high-water mark for a single game for an Eagle this season.

• Morehead State ranks eighth in the nation in total assists with 476. The Eagles have 16 games where they have recorded 15 or more assists and 14 games where they have assisted on at least 60 percent of their total field goals made.

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