By Matt Schabert, Morehead State Athletic Media Relations
GAME NOTES (PDF) | SCHEDULE PAGE (LINKS TO LIVE VIDEO, LIVE AUDIO AND LIVE STATS)
MOREHEAD, Ky. — Morehead State men’s basketball is set to appear in a nationally televised game again this week when the Eagles open a three-game road swing at Southeast Missouri Thursday. The 9 p.m. ET game is set to air on ESPNU.
The Eagles defeated Belmont last week on ESPNews and enter the week with a nine-game winning streak and a 15-5 mark overall and 7-0 in the OVC. The Redhawks, meanwhile, have a high-scoring offense that has produced 80+ points in three straight games. The Eagles counter with the OVC’s best scoring defense.
The game can be heard on the Eagle Sports Radio Network (WIVY-96.3 FM) with Chuck Mraz and Dean Hardin. It’s also available on MSUEagles.com as well as network partner WGOH 100.9 FM/1370 AM. Clay Matvick and Richie Schueler have the ESPNU announcing duties.
2021-22 RECORDS
MOR: 15-5 (7-0 OVC) | SEMO: 8-11 (3-3 OVC)
SERIES RECORDRecord vs. SEMO: 34-19First Meeting: 1/18/92 SEMO won 85-74 at SEMOLast Meeting: 3/3/21 MSU won 61-54 at Evansville (OVCs)Streak: MSU, 5 gamesRecord in Cape Girardeau, Mo..: 13-12Record in Morehead: 19-7Neutral Record: 2-0
NOTABLE• Morehead State has won five straight overall in the series with SEMO, leading 34-19 since 1992. MSU has also won four of the last five times the teams have played in the Show Me Center.
• Morehead State’s home court winning streak sits at 18 now, having not lost since Dec. 18, 2020. MSU is fifth in the nation in home court winning streak, trailing Kansas by just one.
• Morehead State’s current nine-game winning streak is tied for 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 week with wins in 23 of the previous 24 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 24 league games.
• MSU has won 10 of its last 11 OVC road games. Also, Morehead State’s 38 wins in the last two seasons is the most for any Division I program from Kentucky.
• With 71 blocked shots this season, Johni Broome ranks fourth nationally in total blocks and is now ranked sixth on the Eagles’ program single-season chart for blocks. Broome has more blocks himself than 7 OVC other programs have as a whole team in 2021-22. He has 15 multi-block efforts this year, including two straight games with 6 blocks and seven games with 6 blocks this winter.
• Johni Broome is on the Lou Henson Award Watch List for the second straight season. The award by CollegeInsider.com honors the nation’s best mid-major player.
• Johni Broome recorded double-double No. 13 against Tennessee State and has double-doubles in three straight games now. He ranks third nationally in double-doubles this season and has 26 for his career – in just 50 games.
• Ta’Lon Cooper ranks third in the nation in total assists with 132. 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 337 assists.
• Tray Hollowell has hit at least one three-pointer in all 20 games in 2021-22 and owns a string of 27 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 1,039 career points – which would rank 31st in the MSU 1,000-point club.
• In the past two seasons, Morehead State owns a 20-0 record when holding opponents to 60 points or less. Taking it even further, MSU has won 28 consecutive games when the opponent does not reach above 60.
• 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 851 collegiate points, while fellow Wright State transfer Skyelar Potter has 833. In less than two seasons, Johni Broome is already at 736. With potentially two more seasons after this, Ta’Lon Cooper also has a chance to join the club with 644 career markers right now.
• Center LJ Bryan has given the Eagles valuable off-the-bench boosts this year, and in fact, Bryan would lead the OVC in shooting percentage if he had shot enough to qualify. He has made 80 percent of his shots this year (28-of-35) and 62 percent (116-of-187) for his three-year D1 career.