PrintBy Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
MOREHEAD, Ky. — With thousands of road miles already on their log, the Morehead State men’s basketball team will be at again this weekend when the Eagles travel to face Illinois State Saturday night. Game time at Redbird Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.
The battle of the birds can be seen live on ESPN+ and heard live on WIVY-96.3 FM.
Morehead State has some momentum on its side after a 56-51 victory over IUPUI Wednesday at home. The Eagles are back above .500 at 5-4 after starting 4-0. ISU is 3-5 in 2019-20 and is coming off an 81-69 setback at TCU in its first true road game this year.
Following Saturday’s action, the Eagles will be off until Dec. 16 for semester final exams. On the 16th, regional rival Marshall will visit.
GAME NOTES
• This game is the eighth all-time meeting between Illinois State and Morehead State, but the teams haven’t met since 2015-16. The teams also met at ISU in the 2014 College Basketball Invitational. MSU will look for its first victory over the Redbirds since 1972.
• Morehead State held IUPUI to just one successful field goal and one made free throw in the last 13 minutes of the first half Wednesday.
• Junior guard Justin Thomas leads the OVC and ranks in the top three in the nation in total steals with 29. As the point guard, he also ranks second on the team with 6.2 rebounds per game.
• Senior guard Jordan Walker joined an elite group of MSU players to achieve at least 1,200 career points, 200 assists and 100 steals Wednesday. He joined Ricky Minard (2000-04), Angelo Warner (2011-15), Demonte Harper (2007-11) and Guy Minnifield (1981-84).
• Taking it a step further, JordanWalkerneeds just six more three pointers (to get to 175 career triples) to become just the second player in program history with 1,200 points, 200 assists, 100 steals and 175 three-pointers made (Ricky Minard).
• In the past three seasons, Jordan Walker has ranked in the top five in the OVC in most minutes played. Walker has averaged 32.9 minutes of floor time since his sophomore year in 2017-18.
• Sophomore forward LJ Bryan recorded his best rebounding game of the year with 11 against IUPUI.
• Freshman forward Tyzhaun Claudeleads all Ohio Valley Conference freshmen in rebounding. The 6-9 Claude averages 6.6 per game and has two double-doubles so far in his collegiate career.
• Junior forward James Baker is now averaging nearly a block shot per game this season after leading the OVC in blocks as a sophomore last year. He has 72 career rejections.
• Morehead State has hit at least one three-pointer in 414 consecutive games. The last time the Eagles failed to drain one from distance was in 2007 against Jacksonville State.