It will be a battle between Ohio Valley opponents when the Morehead State Eagles (12-11) welcome the Eastern Kentucky Colonels (14-12) to Ellis T Johnson Arena. Action starts at 7:00 pm ET on Thursday, Feb. 11 and can be seen on CCS.
The Eagles lost a close one to Tennessee State 77-76 in their last matchup. Xavier Moon was the team’s leading scorer, finishing with 20 points. The Colonels are coming off an 88-78 win over Belmont in their last game. Javontae Hawkins shot 10 for 18 and led in scoring with 24 points.
Over the last five games, Nick Mayo and Hawkins have been on a tear for the Colonels. During that stretch, Mayo has averaged 18.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 2.2 blocks, and 0.8 three-pointers. Not to be outdone, Hawkins has put up 21.2 points, 4.4 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.6 blocks, and 2.2 three-pointers.
The Eagles could own the offensive glass in this matchup, as they rank seventh in the nation in OR% at 39.3%. Conversely, Eastern Kentucky places 323rd in the nation on the defensive backboards with a DR% of 66.1%.
This is the second game of the year between these two teams, with the Eagles winning the first matchup 70-67. Mayo finished with 19 points and 10 rebounds.
The Eagles enter the game with records of 12-11 Straight Up (SU) and 11-11 Against The Spread (ATS). They are 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. The Eagles have seen an uptick in scoring as of late, averaging 80.5 points during the last 10 games compared to their season average of 71.2 points per game. The Eagles are a dangerously accurate shooting team from three-point range with a .382 three-point field goal percentage, one of the highest marks in Division I. Teams have a tough time keeping Morehead State off of the offensive glass. They rank sixth in Division I in offensive rebounds. The Morehead State defense has done poorly against opposing offenses during the last 10 games, allowing an average of 79.2 points per game, well above their season average of 67.4. The Eagles are the 25th-best team in the country at taking the ball away from their opponents, averaging 8.1 steals per game.
As for their opponent, Eastern Kentucky has a SU record of 14-12 and an ATS record of 10-10-1. Eastern Kentucky is one of the top shooting teams in the country, converting .500 of its shots from the floor. The Colonels average 80.0 points allowed per game, but have improved upon those numbers in the past 10 games, allowing 71.2 points per game during that span.
Morehead State won the last meeting this season between these two teams, evening up the two teams’ head-to-head record over their most recent games (5-5). However, Eastern Kentucky holds the advantage ATS with a record of 5-4-1. Neither team held the edge in field goals, rebounds, or three-pointers in a single game during this span.
Predictions: SU Winner – Mor, ATS Winner – Mor
Notes
Eastern Kentucky is one of the highest-scoring teams in the nation, averaging 82.0 points per game (ranked 17th). Morehead State allows 67.4 points per game (ranked 66th).
Ranked 53rd, the Eastern Kentucky Colonels have an offensive rating of 112.4. The Morehead State Eagles rank 145th with a defensive rating of just 101.7.
The Eastern Kentucky Colonels have one of the best field goal percentages this season, ranking fifth in the nation with a FG% of 50.0%. When their opponents record a similar or higher FG%, the Morehead State Eagles are winless with a 0-6 record.
On average, Morehead State attempts 16.0 three pointers and Eastern Kentucky attempts 21.0. In games where they have 20 or more three point attempts, the Morehead State Eagles are 2-3 while the Eastern Kentucky Colonels have a winning 11-6 record.
Morehead State is one of the best teams in the country when it comes to offensive rebounds, ranking sixth. Eastern Kentucky ranks just 306th in defensive rebounds.
The Morehead State defense has forced an average TO% of 22.8% this season (ranked 16th). In games where it gives up a TO% of 23% or greater, Eastern Kentucky has a subpar 2-4 record.
