OVC Tourney Time: Women's Hoops Looks to Make History from No. 5 Seed in Evansville

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

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- From 1-27 two seasons ago to a 15-14 record in 2023-24, the turnaround the Morehead State women's basketball team has made under head coach Cayla Petree cannot be praised enough, and the Eagles are looking to make history once again this week at the OVC Tournament in Evansville. 

Morehead State comes into the tournament as the No. 5 seed, and will play the first game of the tournament Wednesday at the Ford Center when the Eagles take on No. 8 seed Tennessee State at 2:00 p.m. ET. MSU has never clinched a berth in the NCAA Tournament in women's basketball. 

Fans not in attendance can catch the game live on ESPN+, where each game of the women's OVC Tournament will air. Fans can also tune into the Eagle Sports Network -- 96.3 WIVY -- where Tom Lewis and Wes Holland will call the action courtside in Evansville. 

2023-24 SEASON RECORDS: OVC TOURNAMENT FIELD | RECORD VS. MSU

• No. 1 Southern Indiana (22-6, 17-1 OVC) | 2-0
• No. 2 Little Rock (12-17, 11-7 OVC) | 0-1
• No. 3 UT Martin (14-15, 11-7 OVC) | 1-1
• No. 4 Eastern Illinois (14-17, 11-7 OVC) | 1-1
• No. 5 Morehead State (15-14, 10-8 OVC) 
• No. 6 Tennessee Tech (15-14, 10-8 OVC) | 1-1
• No. 7 Western Illinois (18-11, 9-9 OVC) | 1-1
• No. 8 Tennessee State (10-18, 7-11 OVC) | 1-1

MSU OVC TOURNAMENT HISTORY

• Morehead State is 12-26 in the OVC Tournament. 
• By qualifying this season, Morehead State has now qualified for the OVC Tournament in back-to-back seasons for the first time since 2017-18 & 2018-19.
• Morehead State has been the No. 5 seed four times, and holds a 1-4 record in that spot. 
• Morehead State has played in one OVC Tournament Championship Game in 1983.

NO. 5 SEEDS IN THE OVC TOURNAMENT

• Since the OVC Tournament was moved to Evansville in 2017-18, No. 5 seeds are a mere 1-6. 
• Under the tournament ladder format (adopted by the OVC WBB Tournament in the 2021-22 season), no No. 5 seed has defeated a No. 8 seed. 
• A No. 5 seed has never played in an OVC Tournament Championship Game. 

MSU VS. TSU, 2023-24

• Morehead State and Tennessee State split a pair of matchups in the regular season. 
• Morehead State won the first matchup at Johnson Arena 86-78 on January 6th behind a career-high 25 points from Skylar Barnes. 
• Tennessee State won the second matchup in Nashville behind a 14 PTS/14 REB double-double from Lyric Cole. 

NOTABLE

• Morehead State had two players honored on the All-OVC teams, as senior guard Veronica Charles was named First Team All-OVC for the second straight season and Katie Novik was named Second Team All-OVC in her freshman season. 
• Veronica Charles has scored 20+ in three straight games, starting the streak with 31 at Western Illinois before scoring 24 vs. SEMO and 23 vs. Lindenwood. 
• Katie Novik bounced back from a scoreless effort vs. SEMO with 16 points vs. Lindenwood, including 11 points in the first quarter. 
• Blessing King's dominance on the glass has been a big asset for Morehead State this season. King has 19 games with 10+ rebounds and a season-high of 18 vs. USI.
• Jayden Rhodes, who had a big game vs. UT Martin in last year's OVC Tournament, tied her career-high with 13 points vs. Lindenwood on Saturday. 
• Morehead State leads the OVC in offensive rebounds this season, averaging 14.1 per game.