By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media RelationsGAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — It all comes down to tonight in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Morehead State men have earned their second consecutive trip to the trophy matchup as the Eagles face No. 22 Murray State at 8:30 p.m. ET.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Tom Lewis. It is also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. Tonight’s game will be on ESPN2 with Richie Scheuler and Robert Ford.
2021-22 RECORDS
MOR: 23-10 | MUR: 29-2
SERIES RECORDRecord vs. MUR: 57-120
First Meeting: 2/1/34 MUR won 46-22 at MOR
Last Meeting: 2/12/22 MUR won 57-53 at MOR
Streak: MUR, 2 games
Record in Murray, Ky.: 15-63
Record in Morehead: 39-40
Neutral Record: 3-17
NOTABLE• Morehead State is playing in back-to-back championship games for the first time since 2009-10 and 2010-11. MSU has a 5-2 record all-time in championship games, looking for a repeat victory for the first time 1982-83 and 1983-84. MSU has scored 80+ points in its last two championship game wins.
• After playing four nationally ranked opponents in 2020-21, Murray State represents the Eagles’ fourth top 25 foe again this season.
• Morehead State boasted two First-Team All-OVC members for just the third time in program history (since 1980-81 when OVC split teams into first, second, ect.) and first time since 2010-11. Johni Broome and Ta’Lon Cooper each garnered first-team honors. For Broome, its the second straight year he is a First-Team All-OVC winner.
• Johni Broome, the 2021-22 OVC Defensive Player of the Year, has blocked a program-record 129 shots (third in OVC history and ranking third in DI) while leading the conference and ranking ninth in DI in rebounds (first in the league in defensive rebounds by a more-than 2.0 average at 7.3). He is the second Eagle ever to earn Defensive Player of the Year behind former star Kenneth Faried who won the league’s first three DPOTY awards.
• Johni Broome has blocked more shots (129) by himself than eight other OVC schools combined as a team (only UT Martin had more), and he blocked more than the next two players behind him on the OVC stat chart combined. There are only 46 Division I teams who have blocked more as a team than Broome has by himself.
• Morehead State eliminated Belmont with a 53-51 win last night. It’s the second straight year the Eagles have ousted Belmont, who with Murray State, is leaving the OVC to join the Missouri Valley next year.
• Johni Broome’s 23 double-doubles ranks third in the nation. He has the most double-doubles for an Eagle since the program record of 28 by Kenneth Faried in 2010-11 and the most for an OVC player since Austin Peay’s Chris Horton (25) in 2015-16.
• Ta’Lon Cooper now ranks second in program history in assists in a season. Cooper has an OVC-best 197 helpers this year. Only one player (Nikola Stojakovic in 2007-08) has recorded 200+ assists in a season (204). Last night, Cooper also became just the fifth Eagle in program history to record 400+ career assists, now with 402 to rank in fourth place in the program annals.
• Tray Hollowell has 85 three-pointers this season, officially now the third best single-season three-point total in program history. Only Maze Stallworth (95 and 87) has hit more in a single year than Hollowell. he now has 271 career three-pointers between his four years at Wofford and this year at MSU.
• Jaylon Hall has made the switch to a starting role in three of the past four games and has responded by scoring in double figures twice and averaging 13.8 points over his last five total games.
• Morehead State has out-rebounded 26 of 33 opponents this season.
• Assistant Coach Scott Combs may very well own the league record for being involved in OVC Tournament victories. Combined with his time at MSU and 12 seasons at a successful Austin Peay program, Combs has coached in 29 tournament victories now and has helped teams win four OVC Tournament Championship games.• Head coach Preston Spradlin has championship mentality, coaching in his second straight OVC title game. He helped Kentucky win a national championship in his time on John Calipari’s staff.