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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The "real" season begins for the Morehead State Men's Basketball team Thursday as Ohio Valley Conference play commences, and the Eagles host UT Martin. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m. ET following the women's game.
In a schedule twist, the Eagles and Skyhawks both open and close OVC games this year against each other with the next meeting not until March 1.
MSU has completely owned the series with the Skyhawks, leading 46-18. MSU is 27-4 at home all-time versus UTM, and the Skyhawks' last win at Johnson Arena came exactly 19 years ago to the date - Dec. 19, 2005. Since then, MSU has amassed 15 straight home wins over UTM and is 28-6 versus the Skyhawks overall since then.
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 contest, as always, with Jared Stacy and Dean Hardin.
2024-25 RECORDS
MSU: 4-6 | UTM: 4-7
THE SERIES
Record vs. UTM: 46-18
First Meeting: 12/16/91 MSU won 9-76 at MSU
Last Meeting: 3/8/24 MSU won 84-78 at Evansville, Ind.
Streak: MSU, 1 game
Record in Martin, Tenn.: 14-12
Record in Morehead, Ky.: 27-4
Neutral Record: 5-1
NOTABLE
• MSU has won three consecutive OVC openers.
• MSU is 23-2 in home games since Jan. 26, 2023 - three seasons ago. MSU was 14-1 at home last season.
•
Jalen Breazeale has scored in double figures in four of his last six games, averaging 10.0 points in that span.
• UT Martin is Kenny White, Jr.'s former school from last season. White is at his fourth current or former OVC school, starting at Tennessee Tech, transferring to Murray State for two seasons before being at UTM last year. However, there is only player on UTM's current roster - David Kamwanga - who was White's teammate from last winter.
• MSU owns a +4.1 rebounding margin, marking the fifth straight season the Eagle program has boasted a rebound margin in the plus. In fact, the last four seasons, MSU has led the league in rebound margin.
•
George Marshall scored 36 points in the past three games, including a career-best 18 at Marshall and 10 at Ohio. Prior to that, he had just one career MSU game in double figure points. He also had a career-high four blocked shots in the win over Kentucky Christian.
• Morehead State leads the Ohio Valley Conference in free throw attempts per game at 24.6. The Eagles have had only one game this year (at Cincinnati) where they did NOT have more than 20 free throw attempts.
• MSU averages 32.5 points in the paint on the season, including a season-high 46 against Kentucky Christian.
•
Steven Clay came off the bench for a season-high 16 points against KCU. Clay scored 11 points in a span from the 15-minute to 12-minute mark of the second half when MSU went on a 15-2 run.
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Kade Ruegsegger has scored 1,856 career points in college, including 1,776 in four seasons at NAIA Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio).
• Kenny White, Jr.'s 34 point effort against NJIT is the OVC's top individual scoring game so far this season.
• Kenny White, Jr., is MSU's next closest to joining the 1,000 career point club in college. He enters the game with 802 career points.
• Head coach
Jonathan Mattox has been with the Eagles program since 2013-14, first starting as a graduate manager and then eventually becoming associate head coach in 2021-22. He spent the 2023-23 and 2023-24 seasons on the staff at Murray State.
• Morehead State owns 98 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.
