By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media RelationsGAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — It’s an elite matchup in the Ohio Valley Conference set for Saturday as Morehead State Men’s Basketball meets Murray State. The longtime conference rivals sit atop the standings as the lone undefeated programs this winter. Tip-off at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky., is scheduled for 5 p.m. ET.
The matchup pits the league’s top scoring defense team, Morehead State, against the league’s highest octane offense in Murray State.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Tom Lewis. It’s also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. ESPN+ carries the TV broadcast.
2021-22 RECORDS
MOR: 16-5 (8-0 OVC) | MUR: 19-2 (9-0 OVC)
SERIES RECORDRecord vs. MUR: 57-118First Meeting: 2/1/34 MUR won 46-22 at MORLast Meeting: 2/4/21 MOR won 66-56 at MORStreak: MOR, 2 gamesRecord in Murray, Ky.: 15-62Record in Morehead: 39-39Neutral Record: 3-17
NOTABLE• Morehead State looks to accomplish back to back wins at Murray State after going 13 straight games without a victory at Murray. Prior to last season, the Eagles’ last victory at Murray was 2002-03. MSU also swept the season series from the Racers last season for the first time since 2002-03.
• Saturday’s matchup will be just the third time since 2004-05 that two undefeated OVC teams (with 5+ games played) will face each other, and this will be the best records matchup (9-0 vs. 8-0) of those three games (other two were five and six-win teams).
• Morehead State’s current 10-game winning streak is the third longest in program history, trailing the 12 in 2020-21 and 1983-84 and the 11 in 2009-10. It’s also tied for third currently in Division I.
• The Eagles enter the game with wins in 24 of the previous 25 OVC games. Among ALL Division I teams, Morehead State is tied with No. 1 Gonzaga for the best conference winning percentage in the range of teams’ last 25 league games.
• MSU has won 11 of its last 12 OVC road games and five straight. Also, Morehead State’s 39 wins in the last two seasons is the most for any Division I program from Kentucky. The Eagles enter the Murray game with wins in their last 12 overall conference games.
• After finishing seventh last season, Morehead State has re-entered the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Top 25 poll at No. 24 this week.
• Johni Broome is the first Division I player in the last decade to accomplish 15+ points, 10+ rebounds and 5+ blocks in three consecutive wins (via ESPN research team and Jared Berson).
• Johni Broome has double-doubles in four straight games and now 14 for the season and 27 for his career (in 51 games). The MSU and OVC record for single-season double-doubles is 28 by Kenneth Faried in 2010-11.
• Johni Broome’s 76 blocked shots ranks third in the nation in Division I and is already sixth on Morehead State’s single-season chart.
• Ta’Lon Cooper ranks third in the nation in total assists with 135. Cooper also has four games with 10+ assists this season, which ranks tied for second in the nation with Saint Louis’ Yuri Collins. Cooper is now ranked sixth in MSU history with 340 assists. His season total is currently the 15th highest in program history.
• Tray Hollowell hit a game-tying three with 18 seconds left at SEMO to send the game to overtime and has hit at least one three-pointer in all 21 games in 2021-22. He owns a string of 28 consecutive games with at least one three-ball made since last season at Wofford. Hollowell recently scored his 1,000th career collegiate point and enters the TSU game with 1,050 career points – which would rank 30th in the MSU 1,000-point club.
• While Tray Hollowell has reached the 1,000-point plateau, three other current Eagles are creeping ever closer to that milestone. Wright State transfer Jaylon Hall has 855 collegiate points, while fellow Wright State transfer Skyelar Potter has 844. In less than two seasons, Johni Broome is already at 757. With potentially two more seasons after this, Ta’Lon Cooper also has a chance to join the club with 658 career markers right now.
• Morehead State ranks FIRST in the OVC in three-point efficiency (.375) and blocked shots (121, 5.8/game). In the last four seasons, MSU has led the conference in blocks and has 554 rejections in hat short span.