By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — It’s a busy stretch for the Morehead State men’s basketball team, as the Eagles are set to play their second game in three days Saturday when SIUE visits. In an 11-day period currently, and coming up in the next week, the Eagles are slated to play six games. Tip-off Saturday is approximately 4 p.m. ET following the women’s contest.
One of two remaining unbeatens in league games, the Eagles (13-5/5-0 OVC) will host the last program to beat them on the Johnson Arena floor. SIUE defeated MSU in December 2020, 16 home games ago.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Drew Barnette. It’s also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. ESPN+ carries the TV broadcast with Jared Stacy and Dean Hardin on the call.
2021-22 RECORDS
MOR: 13-5 (5-0 OVC) | SIUE: 7-10 (1-3 OVC)
SERIES RECORDRecord vs. SIUE: 12-4First Meeting: 1/19/10 MSU won 66-46 at MSULast Meeting: 2/22/21 MSU won 56-48 at SIUEStreak: MSU, 1 gameRecord in Edwardsville, Ill.: 4-2Record in Morehead: 7-2Neutral Record: 1-0
NOTABLE• Morehead State leads the series with SIUE 12-4 and is 7-2 in games played at Johnson Arena. The Cougars have actually defeated the Eagles in two of the last three meetings in Morehead after MSU won the first six contested at Johnson Arena since 2010.
• Morehead State’s current 16-game home winning streak is tied for the eighth longest in Division I, tied with San Diego State and trailing Kansas (17) and Louisiana Tech (18) very closely. The Eagles have also won seven in a row overall this year, which ranks tied for the fifth longest current win streak in Division I.
• The 16-game home winning streak is tied for the second longest in program history, equaling the 16 straight in 1983-84 and 1984-85. The 2009-10 and 2010-11 teams combined for a school-record 23-game home court success run.
• In the last two seasons, when the calendar has changed to the new year, Morehead State has been nearly unbeatable. MSU is 24-2 in the months of January, February and March in 2020-21 and 2021-22, including a perfect 14-0 in January games. MSU has only lost to Belmont (on the road) and West Virginia (in the NCAA Tournament) in that span.
• Grad transfer Tray Hollowell became the 35th member of Morehead State’s 1,000-point club with his three-pointer at the 10:02 mark of the first half against Belmont on Jan. 20. A transfer from Wofford, Hollowell scored 799 of those points at Wofford. In his career, 714 of his now 1,011 career points have come via three-pointers, or 71 percent of his total points from beyond the arc.
• Johni Broome leads the OVC and ranks tied for fourth in the nation in double-doubles with 11 this season. He now has 24 double-doubles in 48 career games. Morehead State is 20-4 in the last two seasons when Broome records a double-double.
• Johni Broome is now tied for fourth place in MSU program history in blocked shots. His 115 rejections is tied with George Williams (1973-74). Broome needs just six to overtake former teammate James Baker, Jr., who had 130 blocks from 2017-21.
• Sophomore point guard Ta’Lon Cooper leads the OVC and ranks 10th nationally with 6.4 assists per game. Cooper has eight games with 7+ assists, including a pair of 12-assist efforts. He is now up to 320 career assists, which is eighth in program career history. Cooper has back-to-back games with eight assists entering the SIUE game.
• Tray Hollowell has hit at least one three-pointer in all 18 games in 2021-22 and owns a string of 25 consecutive games with at least one three-ball made since last season at Wofford.
• Junior guard Skyelar Potter tied for team-high honors with 17 points against Belmont. Potter has now faced Belmont four times and averaged 17.0 points against the Bruins, his highest scoring output against any other OVC team.
• Morehead State leads the OVC in three-point shooting percentage in league games. The Eagles have nailed 42 percent outside the arc against the five OVC foes. MSU has hit 50 percent (29-of-58) on three-balls in the previous three games.