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Women's Hoops Kick Off Homestand with Western Illinois Thursday

1/21/2026 8:00:00 AM

By: Dean Hardin, Athletic Media Relations
GAME NOTES | SCHEDULE PAGE (Links to Live Audio, Live Video, Live Stats)
 
Morehead, Ky. -- Morehead State opens a four-game home stand Thursday when the Western Illinois Leathernecks come to Johnson Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:00 p.m. ET. The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Network with Tom Lewis and Wes Holland on the call. It can be seen on ESPN+ with Jared Stacy and Dean Hardin describing the action.
 
Morehead State returns home off a 67-66 thriller over Tennessee Tech Saturday in Cookeville. Laura Toffali hit a free throw with 0.9 remaining to clinch the win for the Eagles, who withstood a late rally by Tech. Kate Dike poured in 24 points and Marie Sepp added 21.
 
Western Illinois rolls into Morehead off a 75-59 win at Little Rock Saturday, maintaining their position tied at the top of the Ohio Valley Conference standings at 7-1 with Southern Indiana. The Leathernecks had four players in double figures led by Mia Nicastro with 28 points and 14 rebounds. Addi Brownfield notched 16, Mallory Shetley added 13 and Allie Meadows chipped in 12.
 
RECORDS/STREAK
 
Morehead State           10-9, 5-3 OVC/ W 1
Western Illinois            15-2, 7-1 OVC/ W 5

SERIES
 
Record vs. WIU:               1-3
Last Meeting:                   WIU won 78-73 (2/15/25) in Macomb
First Meeting:                   WIU won 65-59 (1/27/24) in Morehead
Streak:                               WIU, 2 games
Record in Morehead:       0-2
Record in Macomb:         1-1
Record at Neutral Sites:  0-0
 
NOTABLE
  • Morehead State ranks seventh in the Ohio Valley Conference averaging 65.6 points per game. The Eagles rank eighth in the conference allowing 67.2 points per game.
  • MSU ranks 7th in the OVC with a -3.3 rebounding margin.
  • Morehead State went 7-20 (35%) from three-point range Saturday at Tennessee Tech. The Eagles have put up 501 treys so far this season, the most in the OVC. Their 26.4 attempts per game rank 26th in the country. In conference play, the Eagles rank third in the OVC averaging 21.4 three-pointers per game behind Eastern Illinois and Tennessee Tech.
  • Opponents have attempted more treys than Morehead State in just seven games this season. The Eagles' record in those games is 3-4, all three wins have come against OVC foes: at Lindenwood Jan. 1, at SIUE Jan. 3, and Saturday at Tennessee Tech.
  • Morehead State set the Ohio Valley Conference record for three-point attempts in the 2009-10 season, when the Eagles let 981 treys fly. The Eagles made 340 of those shots, also a school record. MSU's accuracy from distance was 34.7% that season.
  • The Eagles rank 6th in the OVC hitting 29.5% from three-point range. Kate Dike leads MSU at 17-43 (38.3%) from beyond the arc. Western Illinois has taken the fewest treys in the conference with 254. The Leathernecks rank third in the OVC hitting 32.7% from distance. Violet McNece ranks 10th in the OVC with 27 made three-pointers this season.  Anja Ekstrom is right behind her in 11th with 28 (but has played in two more games.)
  • MSU was solid at the charity stripe in Nashville last Thursday going 13-17 (77%). The Eagles backed up a bit Saturday at Tennessee Tech, making 10-16 (63%). Morehead State ranks ninth in the OVC with 67.2% accuracy from the line this season.
  • In conference play, MSU is averaging 69.4% from the line, ranking ninth in the OVC.
  • Josefine Enander has yet to miss from the free throw line: she is 6-6 at the stripe. Anja Ekstrom (6-8) missed both of her attempts Saturday at Tech to break her perfect streak.   Landon Forbes has gone 23-27 (85%) and Violet McNece is 18-22 (82%) from the line this season. Irene Fernandez Pavesio has gone 6-7.
  • Kate Dike leads Morehead State averaging 14.7 points (6th in the OVC) and 7.2 rebounds (7th in the OVC) per game. She notched her sixth double-double of the season last Thursday with 10 points and a career-high 13 rebounds at Tennessee State. She dropped 24 at Tech Saturday, her third 20+ point performance this season.
  • Dike is shooting 52.8% from the field; that ranks second in the OVC.
  • Laura Toffali is second on the team averaging 12.1 points per game (17th in the OVC).
  • Toffali ranks second in the OVC (and 24th in the country) with 52 steals (2.74 per game) behind Southern Indiana's Shannon Blacher, who averages 2.76 steals per outing. Toffali had four steals last Thursday at Tennessee State. She had nine steals against Kentucky Christian on Dec. 28, believed to be the program record.
  • Marie Sepp leads the OVC averaging 4.8 assists per game. Morehead State ranks second in the OVC averaging 14.5 assists per game.
  • Sepp matched her season-high with 21 points Saturday at Tennessee Tech. She shot 8-13 from the floor and 4-6 from the free throw line. She is the third Eagle averaging in double figures, scoring 11.1 points per game.
  • Sepp posted the Eagles' first triple-double in a decade in Morehead State's 85-78 loss to Murray State December 3. The senior from Estonia posted 12 points, 10 rebounds and set a career-high with 13 assists.
 
SCOUTING THE LEATHERNECKS
 
Western Illinois is led by J.D. Gravina, who is in his 15th season in Macomb. He has a record of 230-212. He is 3-1 against Morehead State.
 
The Leathernecks lead the Ohio Valley Conference averaging 79.1 points per game. Defensively, they rank fourth in the OVC giving up 60.7 points per game. They lead the conference with a +18.4 scoring margin. WIU ranks second in the OVC hitting 79% at the free throw line.
 
  • Mia Nicastro leads the Ohio Valley conference in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 24.1 points (fourth in the country) and 10.4 rebounds per game (19th in the country). Nicastro has scored 20+ points in WIU's last six games and seven of the last eight. Last Tuesday at Eastern Illinois, she poured in 33 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Saturday at Little Rock, she recorded 28 points and 14 rebounds. Tuesday, she was named the OVC Player of the Week.
  • Nicastro is an excellent free throw shooter. She ranks second in the OVC (and 13th in the nation) hitting 90.7% from the line. She comes into Johnson Arena on a 36-consecutive made free throw streak that spans the last four games.
  • WIU has been without the services of junior Raegan McCowan, who was injured in the Leathernecks' OVC opener at Lindenwood on December 18. McCowan averaged 17 points and 6.4 rebounds per game before the injury. She scored a season-high 28 points against Bradley November 20. She was an All-OVC First Team selection last season leading WIU averaging 22.3 points and 7.9 rebounds per game and posted 10 double-doubles.
  • Senior Addi Brownfield ranks 14th in the OVC averaging 12.2 points per game. Her 6.1 rebounds per game rank 11th in the league. She ranks 10th in the OVC hitting 77.6% from the free throw line.
 
 
 
 
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