GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (Links to Live Video, Live Stats)
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Morehead, Ky. – The Morehead State women's basketball team wraps up its four-game home stand Wednesday when they host long-time rival and former OVC foe Murray State in Johnson Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
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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 also be seen on ESPN+ with Jared Stacy describing the action.
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Morehead State is coming off a 65-55 win over long-time rival Marshall Sunday. MSU's
Kate Dike led the Eagles with 18 points, just missing her second double-double of the season with nine rebounds.
Anja Ekstrom broke out with a season-high 17 points, hitting five three-pointers in the contest.
Marie Sepp flirted with a triple-double for the second time this season: the senior from Talinn, Estonia tied her career-high with 10 assists, adding nine points and eight rebounds to her stat sheet.
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Murray State rolls into Morehead on a three-game winning streak after a pair of wins last weekend in the Daytona Beach Classic. Last Friday, the Racers downed George Mason 88-83, placing four players in double-digits led by Sharnecce Currie-Jelks with 32 points and Morehead product Haven Ford with 22.
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Saturday, Murray State beat Boston College 82-77, with Currie-Jelks leading the Racers with 23 points. Murray State feasted at the free throw line, shooting 24-27 (89%) from the charity stripe.
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RECORDS/STREAK
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Morehead State          3-4/ W 1
Murray State         5-2/ W 3
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SERIES
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Record vs Murray State:Â Â Â Â Â Â 46-44
Last Meeting:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â L, 70-54 on February 4, 2022 in Murray
First Meeting:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â L, 44-40 on March 10, 1972
Record in Morehead:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 27-17
Record in Murray:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 17-26
Neutral Sites:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â 2-1
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NOTABLE
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- Morehead State ranks fourth in the OVC averaging 65.1 points per game. The Eagles' highest point total was in the second game of the season when they beat Bellarmine 84-68 on November 7.
- So far this season, MSU has taken 217 three-pointers, the most in the OVC. Their average of 31 treys per game is the sixth-highest rate in Division I. Their 8.6 made triples per game ranks second in the OVC and ranks 41st in the country.
- MSU has been good at sharing the basketball. The Eagles are averaging 14.6 assists per game, which is the second-highest rate in the OVC. Sunday against Marshall, Morehead State assisted on 19 of their 23 field goals. Marie Sepp matched her career-high with 10 helpers.
- In the game Sunday versus Marshall, rebounds were even 39-39. That marked second game in the first seven that MSU was not out-rebounded. The Eagles held a +11 margin in their 84-68 win at Bellarmine on November 7.
- Morehead State is trending positive at the free throw line. In their last three outings, the Eagles shot 37-49 from the charity stripe for 76%. Kate Dike has hit 12 of her 14 attempts in the last three outings. Violet McNece leads the Eagles hitting 80% (8-10) from the charity stripe.
- Three Eagles are perfect so far this season from the line: Landon Forbes (5-5), Anja Ekstrom (4-4) and Josephine Enander (4-4).
- Sepp leads the Ohio Valley Conference averaging six assists per game. That ranks T-21 in the country as of December 1. Sepp is second on the club averaging 11.9 points per game.
- Sunday against Marshall, Sepp flirted with a triple-double for the second time this season. She tied her career-high with 10 assists and posted nine points and eight rebounds. In the season opener at Kentucky, Sepp posted 21 points, nine assists and eight boards.
- Laura Toffali leads the Eagles averaging 13.6 points (12th in OVC) and 6.4 rebounds (10th in OVC) per game.
- Toffali also ranks second in the conference with 21 steals (3.0 per game). She had back-to-back outings (vs. USC-Upstate on Nov. 22, and vs. EKU Nov. 26) where she tallied five thefts.
- Toffali posted her first double-double of the season last Wednesday against Eastern Kentucky, posting a career-high 24 points with a season-high 10 rebounds.
- Violet McNece leads the Eagles with eight blocked shots, ranking fifth in the OVC.
- McNece ranks third in the OVC with 15 three-point goals this season.
- Offensively, the season has been a turn-around for Kate Dike: last year she averaged 4.4 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. So far this year, she's averaging 10.9 points and 5.7 boards per game. A 56% free throw shooter last season, this season she's at 70% (14-20).
- Dike recorded her second career double-double November 22 against USC-Upstate, scoring a career-high 18 points with 10 rebounds. She just missed Sunday against Marshall with 18 and nine.
- Wednesday's game is a homecoming for Morehead native Haven Ford. Ford was named Miss Kentucky Basketball in 2023. She holds Rowan County Senior High School records for points (3,326) and assists (783). She was a three-time Lexington Herald-Leader First Team All-State selection.
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