OVC Semifinal – Morehead State vs. Belmont: how to watch and preview

After having a bye into the semifinals, second-seeded Belmont plays its first game of the OVC Tournament against No. 3 Morehead State tonight.

The Bruins featured the best offense in the conference at 79.4 points per game, one-tenth of a point higher than top-seed Murray State. They ranked third defensively, behind the Racers and the Eagles. Morehead State was the best 3-point shooting team by knocking down 36% of their shots from beyond the arc.

Belmont was led by a trio of All-OVC First Team selections. Grayson Murphy led the OVC in steals at 2.4, nearly a full steal per game more than second place. He was second in the league in assists at 5.9, just one-tenth behind first place. Ben Sheppard registered the fifth-best scoring mark at 16.3 points. Nick Muszynski finished seventh in the conference in scoring at 15.9, second in blocked shots (1.7) and third in field goal percentage (57%).

The Bruins went 15-3 in the conference and have lost just once since Jan. 20, when they fell at Morehead State 83-74.

The Eagles posted a 13-5 mark in the OVC. They faltered down the stretch by dropping two of their final three in the regular season.

They advanced to the semis with a 73-56 win over seventh-seeded Tennessee State yesterday. Morehead State knocked down 3-pointers on each of its first three possessions and scored the first 11 points of the contest. OVC Defensive Player of the Year Johni Broome tallied a team-high 15 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.

Belmont and Morehead State split their two meetings in the regular season with both teams holding serve at home.

How to watch

TV: ESPNU 10:30 p.m. ET

Streaming: ESPN App, WatchESPN.com

Live Stats: OVC Championship Stats

Arena: Ford Center, Evansville, Ind.

DraftKings Line: Belmont -4, O/U 110

(Odds/lines subject to change. Visit DraftKings for more information.)