LIVE STATS | WATCH ESPN LINK | LIVE AUDIO | Game NotesRICHMOND, Ky. – First place in the Ohio Valley Conference East Division will be on the line when Eastern Kentucky hosts rival Morehead State for a nationally televised game on Wednesday.
The game, presented by Baptist Health, will air live on ESPNU beginning at 9 p.m. ET.
The live radio broadcast is available in the Richmond area on WCYO 100.7 FM, and can be heard worldwide on EKUSports.com.
Eastern Kentucky (14-9, 6-4 OVC), Morehead State (12-14, 7-4 OVC) and Belmont all have four conference losses. The Eagles and Bruins are a half game in front of the Colonels. Belmont plays at Jacksonville State on Wednesday night. EKU is just two overtime losses and a four-point regulation loss from being 9-1 in the OVC.
During Eastern's current three-game winning streak, seniors
Corey Walden,
Eric Stutz and
Timmy Knipp have shot a combined 59.5 percent from the field. In wins over Belmont and Tennessee State this past week, the trio scorched the nets to the tune of 64.4 percent. As a team, Eastern Kentucky has shot 50 percent or better in each of its past two games and four times in its last seven games.
When the Colonels and Morehead State met on Jan. 31, Eastern held Morehead State to 37 percent shooting and 57 points. Eastern Kentucky also made 23-of-27 at the free throw line and out-scored MSU by nine at the stripe. The Eagles only out-rebounded EKU by two.
In its six OVC wins, EKU has held its opponents to 62 points per game. In its four conference losses Eastern has allowed 78 points per game.
Since meeting in Morehead on Jan. 31, both the Colonels and the Eagles swept Belmont and Tennessee State at home. MSU averages 69.8 points per game and allows 65.8. The Eagles have been out-scored by 127 points at the free throw line this season, but have out-rebounded their opponents by 4.5 boards per game. MSU is second in the conference behind EKU with 8.1 steals per game, but the Eagles turn the ball over 14.3 times per game, second most in the OVC.
Senior guard Angelo Warner leads the team in scoring at 12.8 points per game. Karam Mashour, a 6-foot-6 senior, leads the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg).
The Eagles held off Belmont, 73-71, on Saturday. Freshman Miguel Dicent drained the winning basket with 4.9 seconds remaining, and Morehead State forced a turnover on Belmont's final possession.
Mashour finished with a game-high 22 points and six rebounds. Warner scored 14 points off the bench. Both teams shot over 50 percent. The Bruins went to the free throw line nine more times, but made just 16-of-27. In two games last week, Mashour averaged 21.5 points and 10 rebounds per game.
The last time these two teams played, a late 14-3 run allowed Eastern to escape with a 66-57 victory at Morehead State. The Colonels trailed 47-44 with 6:58 left in the game. Walden put back his own miss to begin the run. He hit two free throws for a 48-47 lead and EKU never trailed again. Warner hit a triple at the 4:23 mark to get the Eagles within one but
Isaac McGlone found the bottom of the net at the other end as the visitors rolled off seven unanswered to cap the run and make it 58-50 with less than three minutes left.
After Warner's three-pointer got MSU within one, the Eagles made just 2-of-7 shots the rest of the game.
Walden finished with 20 points, four rebounds, four steals, two blocks and two assists. Stutz played the final 6:58 with four fouls, including going 4-for-4 at the free throw line to cap Eastern's game-changing run. He recorded his sixth career double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
This will be the 184th meeting between the two programs. Eastern Kentucky leads the all-time series 107-76. EKU has won four of the last five meetings. The Colonels are 58-29 all-time on their own home court, but the Eagles have won four of the last five played in Richmond.
