GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State men's basketball team will face a tough test Friday night when the Eagles travel to No. 20 Cincinnati. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. ET at Fifth Third Arena.
Morehead State travels to Cincinnati for the first time in a decade. The last meeting came in 2014. MSU has just one win all-time at UC, coming in 1957.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM flagship station as well as WGOH in Grayson, Ky.) with Chuck Mraz and Drew Barnette. It is also available on MSUEagles.com. ESPN+ has the game broadcast.
2024-25 RECORDS
MSU: 1-1, 0-0 OVC | UC: 1-0, 0-0 Big 12
THE SERIES
Record vs. UC: 2-11
First Meeting: 12/10/38 UC won 40-19 at UC
Last Meeting: 11/19/14 UC won 69-61 at UC
Streak: UC, 7 games
Record in Cincinnati, Ohio.: 1-10
Record in Morehead, Ky.: 1-1
Neutral Record: 0-0
NOTABLE
• Morehead State is facing an AP top 25 team for the fifth consecutive season. In 202-21, MSU faced four top 25 squads, in 2021-22 the Eagles battled three ranked programs, in 2022-23 MSU faced one ranked team (Indiana) and last year the Eagles squared off with three top 25 teams. The last top 25 win for MSU was the March 17, 2011 NCAA Tournament win against Louisville.
• Head coach
Jonathan Mattox coached his first career victory Wednesday, defeating Boyce (Ky.) 89-48.
• Morehead State owns 95 victories in the last five seasons, two OVC Tournament championships and two OVC regular season titles. Current head coach
Jonathan Mattox was on the bench for the 2020-21 tournament title and the 2022-23 regular season trophy.
• The 2024-25 Eagle roster features seven players who were with the program in 2023-24, including five who saw action in at least one game. Of the seven returnees, MSU returned just 14.5 points per game and 8.5 rebounds per game.
• Graduate transfer
Kade Ruegsegger posted his first D1 double-double against Boyce (Ky.). Ruegsegger, an all-conference player for Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) in the NAIA, scored nearly 1,500 career points his final three seasons. He is the third consecutive player from the NAIA ranks to transfer to MSU, joining Alex Gross (Olivet Nazarene [Ill.]) in 2022-23 and
Riley Minix (Southeastern [Fla.]) in 2023-24.
• Kenny White, Jr., is MSU's leading scorer after two contests. The 6-7 forward averages 14.5 points after a season-high 15 against Boyce (Ky.) and 14 at Louisville.
• Among the 11 Ohio Valley Conference programs, MSU boasts the highest number of graduate students (4) and the highest number of sixth-year players (2).
• The roster features nine newcomers to the program, including six who have played at least one season at a four-year college. Of the Eagles' six players who had yet to see a game as an Eagle prior to Monday (also counting
Jalen Windham who red-shirted in 2023-24), they have 400 combined Division I games played.
• Morehead State has led the OVC in rebounding margin for three consecutive seasons. After two games this season, the trend is continuing. MSU boasts a +5.5 margin.
• Morehead State held significant advantages in the specialty stats against Boyce. MSU finished with 54 points in the paint, 28 fast-break points, 35 bench points and 28 points off turnovers.
• Bryant transfer
Tyler Brelsford owns an 81 percent career free throw shooting accuracy.
