2021 OVC Men's Basketball Championship - First Round

3/3/2021 9:30:34 AM

#1 BELMONT 78, #8 SIUE 61
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Behind a game-high 19 points from freshman JaCobi Wood, Belmont University men's basketball defeated SIUE, 78-61, Wednesday in the quarterfinal round of the 2021 OVC Basketball Championship.

After securing a 12th conference regular season championship in 16 years, Belmont rode strong defense, rebounding and balanced scoring to victory.

Wood went 5-of-9 from the field - including 4-of-6 from 3-point distance - as the Bruins held a double-figure lead virtually the entire second half.

After Mike Adewunmi helped SIU Edwardsville to an early four-point lead, Belmont got nine points in the first 4:11 from junior Caleb Hollander (Nashville, Tenn.) to reclaim the advantage. Belmont (25-3) held SIU Edwardsville to one field goal over a nine-and-a-half minute stretch of the first half, leading 21-13 on a basket from junior Grayson Murphy. Hollander extended the margin to 29-17 before Iziah James capped a 7-0 Cougar reply.

The Bruins closed the first half on a 12-4 run, bookended by two Wood 3-pointers as Belmont led 43-30 at halftime. Belmont shot 50 percent (17-of-34) from the field in the opening 20 minutes - including 8-of-18 from 3-point distance.

Belmont outrebounded SIU Edwardsville, 24-9, in the first half.

A Murphy basket and a Hollander 3-pointer increased the Belmont lead to 18, 48-30, with 18:36 remaining. Belmont created several turnovers and open court opportunities, but outstanding transition defense and blocked shots at the rim from SIU Edwardsville kept the Bruins from breaking the game open.

Four points from freshman Even Brauns and a basket from junior Luke Smith made the score 58-43 with 10:39 left. The Bruins held SIUE scoreless for another five-minute stretch as Wood capped a 10-0 Belmont run to give Belmont a 71-51 lead with 3:56 to go.

All told, Belmont shot 47 percent (29-of-62) from the field - including 10-of-25 from 3-point distance. Belmont handed out 20 assists on 29 made field goals and forced 14 turnovers.

Wood led four Bruins in double figures with 19 points. Hollander had 17 points and five rebounds while Murphy added 13 points, eight rebounds, seven assists and five steals.
Smith scored 10.

James led SIUE (9-17) with 18 points.

#2 MOREHEAD STATE 61, #7 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 54
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Sophomore guard Ta'lon Cooper tied his career high with 17 points off the bench, while OVC Freshman of the Year Johni Broome recorded his 11th double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Morehead State men's basketball team grinded out a 61-54 win over seventh-seeded Southeast Missouri at the Ford Center late Wednesday night.

Cooper played 32 minutes, shooting 6-of-12 while also added three assists. The Eagles also got the 21st double-figure scoring game from junior guard DeVon Cooper with 12 points, including all six of his free throws. He has now hit 16 consecutive free throws. Morehead State used a 16-6 upper-hand in made free throws to its advantage as well.

It was only the third time in program history the teams had met in an OVC Tournament setting.

Morehead State improved to 21-7 in 2020-21, the fourth most wins in program history.

Broome scored the first seven points of the game, converting a three-point play and an underhanded scoop shot as well. Cooper's three-pointer with 5:55 left in the first half pushed the Eagles out to their largest lead (12) at 24-12.

After SEMO hit a three-pointer to make it 26-20, Cooper knocked down a 35-foot triple as the first-half buzzer went off. MSU led 29-20 at the break.

The Redhawks scored the second half's first eight points to climb back to within 29-28, but Cooper scored six of his team's next eight points as the Eagles pushed back ahead 37-30 at the second media timeout of the final half. SEMO cut the game back to 52-49 with 4:29 left but the Eagles scored the next five, including three by Broome.

Chris Harris hit the Redhawks' final three pointer with 1:41 remaining to make it a five-point game, but the Eagles forced two long three-point misfires in the final 50 seconds.