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#4 Tennessee State 88, #5 Morehead State 75
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#3 Eastern Kentucky 84, #6 Southeast Missouri 69
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#4 TENNESSEE STATE 88, #5 MOREHEAD STATE 75
NASHVILLE (AP) - Jordan Cyphers tied a career high with 23 points as Tennessee State defeated Morehead State 88-75 in quarterfinal action at the Ohio Valley Conference tournament Thursday night.
Cyphers was 5-of-7 shooting, including 3 of 4 from 3-point range, and added a 10-of-11 showing at the foul line. Robert Covington added 21 points, including 8-of-9 free-throw shooting, while the OVC's leading assist man, Patrick Miller, had 15 points and 10 helpers.
The Tigers (18-13) shot 81.5 percent (22 of 27) from the foul line.
Tennessee State won each of its regular-season meetings with Morehead State (15-18), and jumped to an 18-9 lead Thursday behind seven points from Miller.
The Eagles pulled within 59-56 on Bakari Turner's 3-pointer midway through the 2nd half, but the Tigers quickly rebuilt the lead to double digits and cruised to the finish.
Drew Kelly had 16 points and Angelo Warner 15 for Morehead State.
#3 EASTERN KENTUCKY, 84, #6 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 69
NASHVILLE (AP) - Eric Stutz scored a career-high 22 points and notched his second double-double as Eastern Kentucky defeated Southeast Missouri State 84-69 Thursday night in the quarterfinals of the Ohio Valley Conference tournament.
Stutz was 9-of-11 shooting foul shots and grabbed 10 rebounds to help the Colonels (24-8) overcome a 38.9-percent shooting performance (21 of 54) that included a 5-of-24 showing from 3-point range. Eastern Kentucky went to the foul line 45 times, though, converting 37 shots (82.2 percent).
The third-seeded Colonels will take on No. 2 Murray State at 8 p.m. Friday.
Southeast Missouri State (17-16) entered as the fifth-best 3-point shooting team in the country, hitting 40.2 percent, but shot just 13.6 percent (3 of 22) from deep Thursday. Corey Wilford, a 44.1-percent 3-point shooter for the year, was 0 for 7. Nick Niemczyk accounted for all three makes in seven attempts, while Nino Johnson had 18 points.