Men's Basketball Returns to OVC Action at Murray State Saturday Evening

By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations

GAME NOTES | LIVE VIDEO | LIVE AUDIO | LIVE STATS

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Morehead State's men's basketball team is set to return to action for the first time Dec. 21 Saturday when the Eagles resume Ohio Valley Conference games at Murray State. Tip-off at the CFSB Center is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET

The Eagles (4-6/1-2 OVC) will be facing a Murray State (4-4/1-2 OVC) team that has won 25 straight home games. The game will air live on ESPN+ as well as MSUEagles.com (WIVY-96.3 FM audio).

LAST TIME AGAINST MURRAY STATE
The Eagles saw the Racers hit 53 percent on the night and get 40 points in the paint too, as well as 16 fast-break points, as Murray State defeated the Eagles 85-57 on Feb. 15, 2020. Freshman forward Tyzhaun Claude registered his fourth straight double-figure scoring game with 13 points and also had eight rebounds before fouling out.

INSIDE THE SERIES

Record vs. Murray State: 55-118

First Meeting: Feb. 1, 1934 (MUR won 46-22)

Streak: Murray State, 5 games

Record in Murray: 14-62

Record in Morehead: 38-39

Last 5 Meetings

3/2/17 Nashville, Tenn. L 75-69

1/25/18 Murray, Ky. L 87-81

1/3/19 Murray, Ky. L 90-69

2/28/19 MOREHEAD, KY. L 71-52

2/15/20 Murray, Ky. L 85-57

GAME NOTES
• Morehead State will be looking to halt a 13-game losing streak in games played in Murray, Ky. The last Eagle win in the CFSB Center was an 83-76 triumph on Jan. 23, 2003 - also the last season Morehead State swept Murray State in the season series.

• In three of the last six seasons, the Eagles' first game after the turn of the new year has been against Murray State. Morehead State will look to reverse its trend in those games too, going 1-5 in the last six.

• Junior guard Skyelar Potter won his first OVC Newcomer of the Week Award Monday. He scored a career-high 22 points at No. 24 Clemson. Potter's honor is the fourth weekly award for the Eagles this season (Johni Broome has three Freshman of the Weeks), the most since Kenneth Faried and Demonte Harper combined for nine in 2010-11.

• Skyelar Potter averaged 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds in the last four games.

• Murray State and Morehead State rank 1-2 in the OVC in rebounding defense (limiting opponent rebounds). The Eagles only allow 30.8 caroms per game to land in the hands of opponents. The Eagles rank first in the OVC circuit in rebounding defense (27.7) in league games.

• Morehead State also ranks in the top two in the conference in rebounding margin against other league foes. In the Eagles' three conference games, MSU has a +10.0 margin.

• Freshman forward Johni Broome is the first Eagle since Ricky Minard in 2000-01 to win three OVC Freshman of the Week accolades.

• Morehead State leads the conference in total blocked shots with 47. It's the third consecutive season MSU has been in the top three in the league in rejections and averaging more than 4.0 per game.

• Junior guard KJ Hunt, Jr., has at least one assist in all nine games and has 27 helpers in the last six games. He ranks third in the conference in assists against other OVC opponents at 5.3.

• Morehead State has utilized the same starting lineup (DeVon Cooper, Ta'Lon Cooper, Skyelar Potter, Julius Dixon and Johni Broome) now for the past five games.

• Johni Broome is the top freshman rebounder in the conference (7.2/game). In fact, he is the only freshman ranked in the top 20 in rebounds per game.

• Morehead State has a 15-2 record in the past two seasons when it holds a halftime lead.

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