GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Still with a two-game lead in the OVC race, the Morehead State mens basketball team will look to get back in the win column Saturday when they conclude a two-game road swing at UT Martin. Tip off time is 4:30 p.m. ET.
Morehead State owns a 44-17 all-time edge in the series with UT Martin, including an 84-66 win in Morehead on Jan 18. The Eagles have won three of the last four meetings in Martin.
The game can also 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 Dean Hardin. It is also available on MSUEagles.com. ESPN+ has the game as well.
2023-24 RECORDS
MSU: 20-6, 11-2 OVC | UTM: 16-10, 9-4 OVC
THE SERIES IN DEPTH
Record vs. UTM: 44-17
First Meeting: 12/16/91 MOR won 90-71 at MOR
Last Meeting: 1/18/24 MOR won 84-66 at MOR
Streak: MSU, 2 games
Record vs. UTM in Martin, Tenn.: 14-12
Record vs. UTM in Morehead: 26-4
Neutral Record: 4-1
NOTABLE
• Morehead State, the OVC's only remaining team in Kentucky, is easily the winningest Division I MBB program in the state in the past four seasons with 88 wins. In that span, MSU has 12 more wins than the next closest, University of Kentucky (see chart page 2).
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Drew Thelwell became the winningest individual player in program history last Saturday vs. Eastern Illinois with 88. He broke Terrence Hill's record of 87 from 2008-09 to 2011-12.
• MSU ranks in the NCAA top 10 in rebound martin (4th), field goal defense (5th), three-point defense (6th) and scoring defense (7th).
• MSU leads the nation in effective field goal percentage defense.
• MSU is No. 1 in the Major Madness (@low_madness) top 25 poll and 20th in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major top 25.
• This year's Eagles equaled the 1983-84 team for best record after 25 games. They were also 20-5 and went on to be 25-5 before losing in the NCAA Tournament first round. That is the record for most wins in a season (25), set by 1983-84 and 2010-11.
• The Feb. 10 win over EIU secured the Eagle program four straight 20+ win seasons, which has never happened before in MSU history.
• MSU has also now won double digit OVC games in four consecutive seasons, marking just the second time in program history for 4 straight 10+ win OVC seasons (2007-08 through 2011-12).
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Riley Minix won his fifth OVC Player of the Week and sixth Newcomer of the Week this week. He has been bestowed both awards in the same week five times. Minix is the conference's leading scorer on average, putting in 20.0 per outing.
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Riley Minix averaged 24.3 points per game in the last eight. In that span, he had five 25+ point efforts.
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Riley Minix is now only the third MSU player in the last 10 seasons (Jordan Walker 2018-19, Johni Broome 2021-22) to score 500+ in a season. He is shooting to become the first Eagle since Ricky Minard in 2003-04 to average 20.0+ in a season.
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Riley Minix has 12 20+ point efforts this season, including seven of the last eight games, and has now scored 2,568 career collegiate points to go along with 1,296 career rebounds. He has also scored 30+ twice this year.
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Riley Minix has recorded 71 career double-doubles in his time at MSU (OVC-best 13) and Southeastern (Fla.) (58). An NAIA All-American, Minix was also the 2022-23 NAIA Academic All-American of the Year.
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Drew Thelwell's 165 assists is the 8th best single-season total in program history. He needs 40 assists to set the MSU single season record held by Nik Stojokavic in 2007-08.
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Drew Thelwell ranks sixth in the nation in assists.
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Kalil Thomas has made 138 career three-pointers in just his two seasons at MSU, which ranks 12th on the program career list. In his career, Thomas has drained 232 triples.
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Kalil Thomas' 74 three-pointers ranks first in the OVC. It also ranks tied for the sixth best single-season total in program history. Thomas needs just 22 more triples to set the MSU single-season record.
