Women's Basketball to Host Bellarmine Sunday in Johnson Arena

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

Morehead, Ky.-- The Morehead State women's basketball team returns to Johnson Arena for the second of a five-game home stand Sunday to host Bellarmine. Tip is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. ET. The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Network (flagship WIVY-96.3 FM) with Tom Lewis and Wes Holland on the call. It can be seen on ESPN+ with Jared Stacy and Dean Hardin calling the action.

The Eagles are coming into the match up riding a three-game winning streak after their 89-51 win over Alice Lloyd Wednesday. Kate Novik and Chrishawn Coleman paced Morehead State with 13 points apiece. Michelle Ugwah added 10. Morehead State dominated the game and never trailed. The Eagles held ALC to just two points in the second quarter and cruised to the win. The Eagles shot 15-24 (63%) in the first half. For the game, MSU shot 25-67 (37%), but only 3-22 (14%) from three-point land. 

Bellarmine comes into Morehead riding a four-game winning streak of their own. Their last game was a 72-64 win at USC-Upstate last Saturday. Grad student guard Hayley Harrison led the way for the Knights with 21 points in a tight game that featured eight lead changes and six ties. The Knights shot 22-63 (35%) from the floor on the game, and 11-29 (38%) from three-point range. Bellarmine committed just 10 turnovers on the game. Grad student Hope Sivori finished with 16 points, while Junior Miyah Brown added 10.

RECORDS

Morehead State:     4-4
Bellarmine:              7-2

THE SERIES

Record vs. Bellarmine:   12-2
Last game: December 4, 2022, Morehead State won 63-59
First game: 73-74 season, Bellarmine won 40-34
Record in Morehead:  6-0
Record in Louisville:  4-2
Streak: Morehead State, one game

NOTABLE
• In the last three games, Morehead State has forced 76 turnovers (2.53/game). They have forced 20+ turnovers in five of the eight games played so far. They have 102 steals on the season. Their rate of 12.8 steals per game leads the Ohio Valley Conference. Their 4.4 turnover margin ranks second in the OVC.

• Tuesday sophomore guard Kate Novik was named the Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Week for her exploits last week in Spartanburg. On Friday, she set a new career high with 27 points, while also leading the Eagles with six rebounds and five assists. She followed that up with 17 points Saturday against Jackson State. 

• Novik comes into today's game averaging 16.6 points per game which leads the team and is the third-most in the OVC. She has been stuffing the stat sheet: she also leads the Eagles in rebounds (7.1 RPG, 6th in OVC), assists (39, 4.9 APG, 1st in OVC), steals (25, 3.1 per game, 2nd in OVC), free throw percentage (80.5%, 5th in OVC), field goal percentage (51.6%, 3rd in OVC).  

• Novik is a perfect 10-10 from the free throw line the last two games and 13-15 (87%) in the last three contests.

• Novik has played in 37 games at Morehead State in her career. She has played in only eight games where she didn't record at least one steal. She has 75 steals (50 last season) and is averaging 2.08 steals per game over her career. 

• Aileen Marquez is averaging 14.6 points per game, which is second on the team and ranks sixth in the OVC. Her 37.5% three-point accuracy ranks fourth in the OVC. She is also fourth in the conference averaging 2.57 made three-pointers per game. Teammate Harley Paynter ranks sixth in the conference averaging 2.29 made triples per game. Paynter is averaging 11 points per game.

• Michelle Ugwah just missed her first career double-double last Saturday against Jackson State. She  scored nine points and grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds. She bounced back Wednesday with 10 points in just 14 minutes of play against Alice Lloyd.  She ranks second on the team averaging 5.6 rebounds per game.  

• Katie Dike posted a career-high nine points against Alice Lloyd Wednesday. She leads Morehead State with nine blocks on the season which ranks fifth in the OVC. Novik and Ugwah are right behind her averaging one block per game which puts them in a four-way tie in the OVC stats.

• Novik is the lone returner from last season's team to see action. Michelle Ugwah, Alyssa Berry and Marie Perdew were all on the roster but were unavailable due to injuries. Novik averaged 11.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. She played in all 30 games last season, making 25 starts. She was named to the Second Team All-OVC.

• It's a homecoming for Bellarmine assistant Shannon Litton. The Maysville, Ky., native played at MSU from 1988-92. Her career 164 made three-point shots ranks fifth in program history. Head Coach Chancellor Dugan played collegiately at Eastern Kentucky. She served as a graduate assistant under Coach Loretta Marlow for a season at Morehead State.

• Bellarmine's Hayley Harrison was named this week's ASUN Women's Basketball Player of the Week Monday. Harrison averaged 18.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 2.5 steals in the Spartan Shootout Thanksgiving MTE in Spartanburg, S.C. last week. She posted a team-high 16 points in Bellarmine's win over Jackson State last Friday, and followed up with a game-high 21 points in the Knights' win over USC-Upstate last Saturday. She comes into today's game leading the Knights at 16.7 points per game.