GAME NOTES: The Morehead State Eagles will kick off the month of December with a non-conference clash against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers at Johnson Arena.

ETSU has won three straight games after losing its season opener to Valparaiso (90-76), with the trio of victories coming against Virginia-Wise (111-66), UNC Asheville (98-87) and Winthrop (69-64). The Buccaneers will host Western Carolina in their Southern Conference debut next.

Morehead State made history last time out, as its pounded Kentucky Christian, 121-49. The 72-point margin of victory was the largest in history for the Eagles, who have split their eight contests this season. The recent triumph marked their third in the last four contests. They will visit UAB next.

When these teams met last season, Morehead State earned a 71-63 victory on the road. The Eagles have won four straight against East Tennessee State, and lead the all-time series, 28-24.

Lester Wilson played an excellent game against Winthrop to lead ETSU to victory. He netted five shots from beyond the arc and finished with a team- high 20 points, as well as five rebounds. The Buccaneers shot a meager 30.6 percent from the floor overall, but they knocked down 12 shots from 3-point range and held a 43-40 edge on the glass. That included a triple from Jalen Riley with 50 seconds remaining, which put ETSU ahead for good.

The Eagles will need to defend the 3-point shot quite often in this one. ETSU has taken 122 shots from beyond the arc in the first four games and is making 40.2 percent of those attempts. The barrage from long distance has helped the Buccaneers average a robust 88.5 points per game, despite a pedestrian 44.1 percent shooting effort overall. Riley (18.5 ppg, 3.2 apg), Rashawn Rembert (17 ppg) and Wilson (14 ppg) are the primary scoring threats, with all three being threats from 3-point distance. Riley is the most dangerous, with 46.2 percent of his 3-point shots finding the bottom of the net.

Morehead State brutalized Kentucky Christian, a NAIA program. The lack of elite competition helped the Eagles shoot a scorching 63.6 percent from the field, including a 10-of-20 showing from beyond the arc. The Eagles assisted on an astounding 33 of their 49 field goals, with Angelo Warner leading the way with 20 points and five helpers.

Keeping pace with ETSU at the offensive end may not be possible for the Eagles, who are averaging 73 points per game on 42.7 percent shooting. However, they may be able to bring the Buccaneers down to their level, as they have enjoyed moderate defensive success, letting up 62.3 points per game on 40.3 percent shooting. Warner (17.1 ppg) should get most of the offensive chances for the squad. Brent Arrington (11.4 ppg) is the only other double- digit scorer on the roster. Kareem Storey (8 ppg, 6 apg, 4 rpg) doesn't score all that much, but he makes a sizable impact in other areas.

The Buccaneers live and die by the 3-point shot. That is a difficult strategy to find success with on the road, especially against a defensive-minded Morehead State team.