Eagle Men Head South for Battle on the Hardwood at Samford
Posted at 6:09 PM, Dec 11, 2018
and last updated2018-12-11 18:09:25-05
Morehead State’s A.J. Hicks, left, and Connecticut’s Christian Vital, right, chase down a loose ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Storrs, Conn., Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — Morehead State men’s basketball will head south this week to face former OVC foe Samford.The Eagles and Bulldogs will tip off in Birmingham, Ala., at 7:30 p.m. ET Thursday.
Samford (8-2) nearly pulled off an upset of OVC foe Belmont last week before falling in overtime. They also have a victory over Jacksonville State. The Eagles (3-6) will look to get back in the win column following a 12-point setback at Marshall Monday.
The game will air live on WIVY-96.3 FM and can be seen live on ESPN+.
GAME NOTES
THE SERIES WITH SAMFORD
Morehead State travels to a former Ohio Valley Conference foe this week, as the Samford Bulldogs were OVC members from 2003-08. The Eagles are 5-7 all-time against the Bulldogs and 2-4 all-time in games in Birmingham. MSU is 1-0 in the Pete Hanna Center, having claimed a 64-58 victory there in the teams’ last meeting on Feb. 14, 2008.
HISTORICALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE SOUTHERN CONFERENCE
Morehead State has a 41-39 all-time record against teams from the current Southern Conference lineup. The Eagles have faced nine of the 10 teams in that league, with only Wofford being the lone foe MSU has never met.
TRENDS AND TIDBITS
Jordan Walker has six double-figure scoring games and four of them have been at least 20+ point efforts … Walker now has 33 career double-figure scoring performances … Lamontray Harris has five doubles in nine games …In 1,800 minutes played this season, MSU and opponents have combined for just six lead changes … MSU averages 74.6 points per outing in games not played in Morehead … Three of the games away from Johnson Arena have seen the Eagles score exactly 70 points … In head coach Preston Spradlin‘s tenure (2+ seasons including interim in 16-17), MSU has out-rebounded 33 opponents, and 19 have been by a double-digit margin.
3-POINT STREAK KEEPS MOVING AHEAD
Morehead State has hit at least one three-pointer in 381 consecutive games, dating back to 2007 when the Eagles were held without a made one from beyond the arc against Jacksonville State.
STAT GEEKS PERK UP
In looking at the Eagles’ scoring this season, Morehead State has exactly the same number of points in each half. The Eagles have totaled 352 points in the first halves and second halves in the first nine games.
GOING HARD ON THE GLASS
Morehead State ranks first in the Ohio Valley Conference in offensive rebounds. The Eagles pull down 13.6 boards off the offensive glass. The rebounds lead to an average of 13.8 second-chance points per outing.
START ME UP
Morehead State has used the same starting five (A.J. Hicks, De’von Cooper, Jordan Walker, Lamontray Harrisand Malek Green) in all nine games this season. Last season, that combo started two games with both being losses. In 2017-18, MSU used 10 different starting fives with the most used lineup only starting nine games together.
MARCH TOWARD 1,000
Lamontray Harris has a legitimate chance to reach 1,000 career points if he can keep up his average this season. He has piled up 805 career points in 98 career games.
CUTTING DOWN OUR MISCUES
Compared to last season after nine games, Morehead State has improved its turnover rate by more than five per game. The Eagles averaged 18.2 mistakes per outing after nine contests last year, compared to just 13.0 this season.
Copyright 2024 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
