GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- It's been since Dec. 28 that the Morehead State men's basketball team last played a game in Johnson Arena. But, that changes Thursday when the Eagles finally grace the FamilyLeisure.com Court again against Western Illinois at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Morehead State, which is currently all alone in first place in the OVC, returns home to Johnson Arena where MSU has won 91 percent of its games the last five seasons. The Eagles swept WIU last year, winning by an average margin of +17.5 in the season series. MSU owns a four-game winning streak against the Leathernecks dating back almost 40 years to 1986.
Western Illinois is 8-9 overall and 2-4 in the league. WIU has seen its season roller coaster throughout. The Leathernecks have dropped four of their last five games, including a 20-point home loss to Tennessee State last Saturday. Marko Maletic is the OVC's most accurate three-pointer shooter and averages a team-best 17.5 points.
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 with Jared Stacy and
Dean Hardin.
2024-25 RECORDS
MSU: 10-7, 5-1 OVC | WIU: 8-9, 2-4 OVC
THE SERIES
Record vs. WIU: 5-3
First Meeting: 11/30/81 MSU won 81-73 at MSU
Last Meeting: 2/22/24 MSU won 78-57 at WIU
Streak: MSU, 4 games
Record vs. WIU in Macomb, Ill.: 2-2
Record vs. WIU in Morehead: 3-1
Neutral Record: 0-0
NOTABLE
• Morehead State's defense turned it up a level last week, holding Little Rock and SEMO to 53 and 56, respectively, on each's home court. MSU's three-point defense held those two foes to less than 27 percent from outside the arc.
• In the last two seasons, MSU is 32-3 when it holds a halftime lead.
• Morehead State has won 35 consecutive games when its opponent scores 60 or fewer points. The last time that did not happen was Feb. 22, 2022 when Murray defeated the Eagles 57-53.
• Morehead State, the only remaining original OVC member, has been the league's gold standard program in the last five seasons. MSU has won 79 percent of its OVC games (63-17) in that span. MSU is 19-5 in league games just in the last two seasons.
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Jerone Morton has set six career highs just this season. He has reached double figure points in six of the last seven games and averaged 13.8 points in that span.
• In the last three games,
Jerone Morton has played 116 minutes. He has played 80 consecutive minutes in the last two games, never coming off the floor. In fact, in the last 100 minutes of game action for the Eagles, Morton has been on the floor for 98 of those.
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Anouar Mellouk recorded his first career double-double at Southeast Missouri, with 18 points and 10 rebounds. In his past four games, Mellouk averaged 14.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, scoring double figures in all four. He upped his season scoring average 2.6 points just in the past four games.
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Kade Ruegsegger has scored 1,882 career points in college, including 1,776 in four seasons at NAIA Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio).
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Tyler Brelsford,
Kade Ruegsegger and
Steven Clay all own career free throw percentages of better than 77 percent.
• Morehead State has managed to score 25+ points in the paint in 16 straight games. MSU's only game not accomplishing that was the season opener at Louisville.
• Kenny White has scored 903 career collegiate points.
• The Eagle program now has nine 20+ win seasons in the last 15 seasons.
• 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).
