50!

Tennessee Tech senior guard Kevin Murphy reached rare air on Monday night when he scored a school record 50 points in the Golden Eagles 98-80 win over SIUE.

Murphy hit 16-of-21 field goal attempts (6-of-9 from 3-point range) and was 12-of-14 at the free throw line. The senior also grabbed seven rebounds, had an assist and a steal in 34 minutes of action. His play avenged a loss to SIUE on Dec. 29 when Murphy hit just 1-of-16 shots and scored four points.

Murphy is one of just 11 players in OVC history to score 50 or more points in a game, and the first since Morehead State's Brett Roberts did in the 1991-92 season. It was just five points off the record of 55 held by Western Kentucky's Clem Haskins (1964-65) and Youngstown State's Tilman Beverly.

Below is a list of every 50-point game in OVC history.

55 - Clem Haskins, Western Kentucky (vs. Middle Tennessee in 1964-65)
55 - Tilman Beverly, Youngstown State (vs. Tennessee Tech in 1985-86)
53 - Brett Roberts, Morehead State (vs. Middle Tennessee in 1991-92)
52 - Art Spoelstra, Western Kentucky (vs. Morehead State in 1953-54)
52 - Tom Chilton, East Tennessee (vs. Austin Peay in 1960-61)

52 - Harold Sergent, Morehead State (vs. Middle Tennessee in 1964-65)
51 - James "Fly" Williams, Austin Peay (vs. Tennessee Tech in 1972-73)
51 - James "Fly" Williams, Austin Peay (vs. Georgia Southern in 1972-73)
51 - Steve Hamilton, Morehead State (vs. Ohio in 1956-57)

50 - Darel Carrier, Western Kentucky (vs. Morehead State in 1963-64)

50 - Kevin Murphy, Tennessee Tech (vs. SIUE in 2011-12)

The 50 points is the most scored by a Division I player this season (Creighton's Doug McDermott's 44 points against Bradley is the second-most).

The 50 points is the first in a Division I game since BYU's Jimmer Fredette scored 52 points against New Mexico on March 11, 2011. Last season there were just three total 50-point games in Division I.

Murphy entered Monday's game ranked 13th in the country in scoring (20.0 points/game) and raised his scoring average to 21.3 points/game, which now ranks sixth nationally.

Below is video of Murphy's output point-by-point.

Get To Know Your OVC Men's Basketball Coaches - Part 4 (Crazy Fans)

At the 2011 OVC Basketball Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the men's basketball coaches to ask them some questions. Each week during the conference season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Who has the craziest fans?"

Around the Ohio Valley - Jan. 26

It's Around the Ohio Valley, your weekly look behind the scenes in athletics at our 11 member institutions!

Austin Peay: The Governors’ men’s basketball team continued its hot streak this week, earning two more victories on the road at SIUE on Jan. 19 and Eastern Illinois on Jan. 21. Senior Melvin Baker and junior Jerome Clyburn played huge roles in these last two victories, with Baker scoring 19 points versus SIUE and 10 against EIU, while Clyburn added a season-high 7 assists on Thursday and dropped 18 points on Saturday. The Governors return to the court tonight at Southeast Missouri.

Eastern Illinois: Two Eastern Illinois teams were recognized nationally in rankings this week: the men’s indoor track and field team and women’s basketball. The Panther track and field team is currently ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA Midwest Region, ahead of several Big 12 teams. At first place in the OVC, the Panther women’s basketball team is ranked 18^th in the nation in the CollegeInsider.com Mid Major Top 25 poll. EIU will look to improve on their 6-0 conference record and 15-4 overall record this Saturday at Jacksonville State.

Eastern Kentucky: Former Eastern Kentucky football player Antwaun Molden will hit one of the biggest stages in sports in two weeks, playing in Super Bowl XLVI in two weeks as a member of the New England Patriots. Molden, a three-year cornerback (2005-07) with the Colonels, has played in all 18 games for the Patriots this season, racking up 36 tackles and two interceptions. EKU won the OVC title in 2007, Molden’s senior season.

Jacksonville State: The Gamecocks had their first alumni appearance in the NBA this past week, when former JSU basketball player Walker Russell made his debut with the Detroit Pistons last Friday. Russell, who played for the Gamecocks from 2003-06, played 20 minutes with 3 points and one rebound in the Pistons loss to the Memphis Grizzlies. He had previously spent five seasons in the NBA Development League. As a Gamecock, Russell was a two-time All-OVC selection and scored 1,182 points on his career.

Morehead State: The Eagle football team earned prestigious academic honors this week, with 32 players being named to the 2011 Pioneer Football League Academic Honor Roll. The list includes all players from the league’s 10 institutions to earn a 3.0 GPA or higher. Morehead’s list was topped by senior halfback Ronnie McDermott with a perfect 4.0 GPA last semester. For the full list of honorees, see this link on MSUEagles.com.

Murray State: One Racer women’s basketball player is on the brink of history. Junior guard Mariah Robinson is only 36 points away from reaching 1,000 points on her career, averaging 15.8 points per game so far this season and shooting 80 percent from the free throw line. She would be the 18^th Racer to reach 1,000, and could reach the mark in less than 80 games on her career.

Southeast Missouri: Redhawk baseball player Trenton Moses was predicted to reclaim his OVC Player of the Year title by College Sports Madness last week. The website named him Preaseason OVC Player of the Year, which adds to his Third Team Preseason Lousiville Slugger All-American honor in December. Last season, Moses batted .395 on the season will 11 home runs and 53 RBIs. The Redhawks will open their season at Dallas Baptist in Dallas, Texas on Feb. 17.

SIUE: Both men’s and women’s OVC Basketball Freshmen of the Week went to SIUE Cougars this week: Kris Davis for the men and Katie Hempen for the women. Both Davis and Hempen are averaging 13 points per games for their respected teams. Davis ranks second in the NCAA with a .581 three-point shooting percentage, while Hempen dropped 17 points in the Cougars’ last victory over Austin Peay.

Tennessee State: The OVC office would like to extend its congratulations to TSU associate head athletic trainer Patrice Elder for receiving the Tennessee Athletic Trainers’ Society Backbone of the Year Award. The award, which Elder received last Sunday, is given to individuals who display significant and enthusiastic loyalty to their programs, their student-athletes and their coworkers. Elder has served in her role with the Tigers since 2007. Congratulations, Patrice!

Tennessee Tech: TTU’s Basketball Alumni Day will be held on Feb. 25 when the Golden Eagles take on Murray State, during which several TTU championship teams will be recognized. The 20^th anniversary of the 1991-92 women’s team and 25^th anniversary of the 1986-87, both of which won OVC titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament, will be honored, as well as a ten-year look back at the 2001-02 men’s and women’s teams and the 1981-82 women’s OVC championship team. For more info, check out TTUsports.com.

UT Martin: The Skyhawk rifle program has signed two incoming freshmen this week, both of whom are expected to contribute right away in the 2012-13 season. Nikki Lee Kroll, from Lowber, Pa., and Sean O’Brien, from Voorhies, N.J., both have trained at the US Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs and competed in the NRA National Championships. Both Kroll and O’Brien are the reigning air rifle champions in their home states and plan to major in pre-med at UT Martin.

Get To Know Your OVC Men's Basketball Coaches - Part 3 (Superstitions)

At the 2011 OVC Basketball Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the men's basketball coaches to ask them some questions. Each week during the conference season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "Do you have any superstitions?"

OVC Insider presented by Taco Bell - Episode 15

Episode No. 15 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week we introduce a new feature in the show, and have the latest happenings around the league.

Around the Ohio Valley - Jan. 19

Here is your weekly in-depth look at what's happening in athletics at our institutions:

Austin Peay: The Governors’ men’s basketball team is currently on a three-game win streak, with all three of those wins coming within only five days of each other. APSU began the streak with a win over Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 12, 80-65, continued by defeating Jacksonville State 60-57 on Jan. 14, and finished the weekend with a 69-63 win over Tennessee State on Jan. 16. Senior John Fraley had impressive performances in all three contests, scoring 25 points and grabbing 12 rebounds versus EKU, 8 points and 9 rebounds against JSU and 16 points and 6 rebounds versus TSU. For the full game recaps, be sure to visit apsugovernors.com.

Eastern Illinois: Former Panther baseball standout Jordan Kreke was signed by the Traverse City (Mich.) Beach Bums of the Frontier League this week, making him the third EIU alum on the current Beach Bums’ roster (he joins former EIU teammates Matt Miller and Brent McNeil). Kreke batted .316, appeared in 170 games and had 187 hits during his EIU career, and was named OVC Player of the Year in 2009. Since being drafted by the Atlanta Braves in 2009, he has played for four Minor League Baseball teams in the Braves organization, including the AA Mississippi Braves.

Eastern Kentucky: We here at the OVC office would like to extend our congratulations to the EKU Dance Team, who pulled out two top-ten finishes at the UDA College National Championships last weekend. EKU placed sixth in Division I Pom and seventh in Division I Hip-Hop. Last weekend marks EKU’s second appearance in the UDA National Championships under coach and alum Laura Hazelwood.

Jacksonville State: The Gamecock softball team was selected by our office this week as the preseason favorite to win the OVC title for the fourth-straight season. Last year, JSU finished second in the OVC for the regular season title to Eastern Illinois, but emerged victorious in the conference tournament and earned a spot in the NCAA Regionals. The Gamecocks will look to place in the top two in the OVC for the eighth straight season this year, all under head coach Jana McGinnis. To see the full preseason softball poll, visit this link on OVCsports.com.

Morehead State: Eagle baseball senior Andrew Deeds was named Preseason First Team All-OVC by College Sports Madness as a utility player. Last season for Morehead, Deeds played third base and centerfield and batted .380 on the season. He also broke the school record for triples in a season with seven and career triples with 11. For the full preseason teams, visit the link on College Sports Madness.

Murray State: While the Murray State men’s basketball team continues their unbeaten streak, two female Racer athletes are also having big performances in their respected seasons. Women’s basketball sophomore Erica Burgess was named OVC Newcomer of the Week for the sixth time this week; she’s averaging 14.8 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game on the season. Junior sprinter Alexis Love was named OVC Track Athlete of the Week for the second-straight week on Tuesday; she currently has the OVC best times for the 60-meter dash and the 200-meter dash.

Southeast Missouri: The Redhawk softball team took a break from preparing for the upcoming season before Christmas to lend a helping hand for Haiti. As a part of the Feed My Starving Children program, the team took part in packing approximately 632,000 meals, which will help feed 1,730 Haitian children for a full year. Southeast returns to the field on Feb. 9, when they open their season at Jackson State.

SIUE: When the Cougars men’s basketball team hosts No. 10 Murray State on Jan. 21, it will be the first time an SIUE game has been nationally televised (the game will be broadcasted on ESPNU). It will also be the first time SIUE will have hosted a Division I Top-25, much less a Top-10, opponent. The game at the Vadalabene Center will begin at 8pm CST.

Tennessee State: Three Tiger legends have been nominated for the NAIA 75^th Anniversary Team, membership of which is voted on by fans. All three nominees, Dr. Dick Barnett, John Barnhill and Coach John McLendon, played large parts in the 1957-59 NAIA National Championships won by TSU teams. Barnett and Barnhill were named to the All-Tournament teams two out of the three championship years, while McLendon’s large list of accolades includes 1958 Coach of the Year. All three were named to the NAIA 50^th Anniversary Team. Click here to vote for the 75^th Anniversary Team selections.

Tennessee Tech: Golden Eagle wide receiver Tim Benford will play in the annual East-West Shrine game this weekend in Florida, yet another honor for the senior after an exceptional season for TTU. The Golden Eagles finished tied with Eastern Kentucky and Jacksonville State to win the OVC title, appeared in the FCS playoffs and finished in the FCS Top 25. Individually, Benford was named an All-American and OVC Offensive Player of the Year.

UT Martin: Skyhawk women’s basketball player Heather Butler is well on her way to making UT Martin history in the coming weeks. Butler, a sophomore, is only 41 points away from scoring 1,000 points in her still young UT Martin career, and is averaging 21.8 points per game, which ranks ninth in the nation. She has also scored in double figures in every game of her career, with her season-high sitting at 35 points versus TSU on Jan. 2.

Get to Know Your OVC Men's Basketball Coaches - Part 2 (Spare Time)

At the 2011 OVC Basketball Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the men's basketball coaches to ask them some questions. Each week during the conference season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "What do you like to do in your spare time?"

OVC Insider presented by Taco Bell - Episode 14

Episode No. 14 of our weekly show about the happenings of the Ohio Valley Conference is now online. The show is hosted by OVC interns Olivia Walter and Patrick Robinson.

This week we take a look back at what has happened over the past month.

Around the Ohio Valley - Jan. 12

Austin Peay: The APSU basketball programs are looking to up their efforts in the national Coaches vs. Cancer campaign. The Governors have a long history with the program, ranking as high as 13^th nationally in funds raised for the program. APSU head basketball coaches Dave Loos and Carrie Daniels are working closely with Coaches vs. Cancer representatives and APSU’s Marketing and Promotions department to bring the Governors’ contributions back to a high level through initiatives such as the season-long Coaches vs. Cancer 3-point Attack and Play for Kay night on Feb. 18. For more information, see this article by Luke Thompson in the Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle.

Eastern Illinois: Former Panther women’s basketball player Kelly (Powell) Richter was recently selected as a member of the Indiana High School Hall of Fame’s Silver Anniversary Team. Richter played at EIU from 1987-91, playing in 84 games throughout her career. Richter has since served as a team physician at Vanderbilt University (2001-02), is currently on staff at the Cleveland Clinic and serves as the team physician at Baldwin-Wallace College in Berea, Ohio.

Eastern Kentucky: EKU head cross country coach Rick Erdmann and sophomore runner Soufiane Bouchikhi were honored at the Kentucky Association of USATF and Kentucky Track and Cross Country Coaches Association awards banquet last week, receiving Men’s Cross Country Coach of the Year and Men’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year awards. The Colonels reached their first NCAA Cross Country Championship this past season and also won their sixth consecutive OVC conference title.

Jacksonville State: Shoutout to the JSU Marching Southerners on kicking of London’s New Year’s Day parade a couple weeks ago, and on making the Huffington Post. Way to represent the OVC overseas!

Morehead State: The Morehead State cheerleading squad will once again be competing at the Universal Cheerleaders Association College Cheerleading National Team Championship this coming weekend at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Fla. Last year, Morehead State brought home national titles in the all-girl team, coed team and partner stunt all-girl events, brining the total number of national championships produced by the Eagles’ cheerleading program to 31. Good luck Eagles!

Murray State: The Feb. 2 matchup between No.14-ranked Murray State and Southeast Missouri has been selected for broadcast on ESPNU. The Racers are one of three remaining undefeated Division I teams, with an overall record of 16-0 and an OVC record of 4-0. The game will air at 7:00pm CST that night.

Southeast Missouri: Southeast Missouri men’s basketball player Tyler Stone is having a phenomenal season so far, averaging 19.3 points per game, 5.7 rebounds and shooting 61 percent from the field in the Redhawks’ last three contests. Stone, a transfer sophomore from Missouri, has scored in double figures in 14 of Southeast’s 16 games this season.

SIUE: SIUE’s new indoor softball facility is now officially open for business. Fans received their first look at the 110-foot by 110-foot facility last Sunday, which features a full infield, three pitching areas and two 80-foot batting cages. There is also an area specifically dedicated to umpires’ game preparation and rest between games.

Tennessee State: Tiger men’s basketball player Robert Covington had a great game in TSU’s 77-72 victory over Morehead State on Wednesday, scoring a career-high 30 points, the most points scored by a Tiger since Parker Smith on Jan. 17, 2009. Covington, a junior from Bellwood, Ill., also added eight rebounds, a block, a steal and an assist. 21 of his 30 came from 3-point shots, also a career-high. For the full recap, visit TSUTigers.com.

Tennessee Tech: TTU athletes have not only been pursuing excellence on the playing field, but in the classroom as well. 192 Golden Eagles were named to the Athletic Director’s honor roll for the 2011 fall semester upon achieving a grade point average of 3.0 or higher. 45 of those student-athletes were named to the Gold Club, which recognizes those who achieve a perfect 4.0 GPA. For a full list of the honored TTU athletes, see this release from TTUSports.com.

UT Martin: The UT Martin women’s basketball team, along with Tennessee State, set an OVC record on Jan. 2 for single-game combined points scored with 219. The Skyhawks won the matchup 114-105, which was held at the Gentry Center in Nashville. The previous record, 216, was set when Morehead State defeated Eastern Kentucky 110-106 during the 1992-93 season. UT Martin sits in first place in the OVC with a 3-0 conference record.

Get to Know Your OVC Men's Basketball Coaches - Part 1 (Best Travel Story)

At the 2011 OVC Basketball Media Day, OVC intern Olivia Walter sat down with the men's basketball coaches to ask them some questions. Each week during the conference season we will feature a different question. This week the question is "What is your best travel story?"

Welcome to the NBA Mr. Faried

We have been slow about updating the blog, but fresh updates coming soon, we promise.

But check out the amazing dunk by former two-time OVC Player of the Year Kenneth Faried against Sacramento on Jan. 4. The dunk marked the first two points the professional career of the former Morehead State star.