WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Cincinnati 69,
Morehead State 61
@Cleveland State 60,
Jacksonville State 46
@Samford 68,
Austin Peay 67
@Belmont 96, Trevecca Nazarene 76
CINCINNATI 69, MOREHEAD STATE 61
CINCINNATI - Junior Farad Cobb erupted for a game-high 24 points on 6-of-9 from three-point range in his second career Division I game, and the Cincinnati men's basketball team recorded a 69-61 victory over Morehead State on Wednesday evening at Fifth Third Arena.
The American Athletic Conference Bearcats open the season with their second straight home win. The Ohio Valley Conference Eagles slip to 1-2 on the campaign and 0-2 on the road. Cincinnati also moves to 11-2 in the series with its seventh consecutive victory over MSU.
Cobb, a junior college transfer, did not score in his D-I debut. He connected on 8-of-14 overall and drilled two-thirds of UC's long balls. Junior Octavis Ellis added 16 points on 10-of-13 from the foul line, while sophomore Troy Caupain added 13 on 8-of-11 from the same spot.
The contest featured several scoring runs. Cincinnati registered a 15-0 surge in the first half, thanks to continuous free-throw attempts. Morehead State answered with a 13-0 burst to end the first half and begin the second. UC's 14-3 second-half run then put the game out of reach.
Cincinnati led for more than 32 minutes, but its largest advantage was only 13 points late in the first half. Morehead State had a two-point cushion 10 minutes in and tied the contest on multiple occasions after intermission. There were six ties and four lead changes overall.
Cincinnati was +10 in made free throws and +18 in charity-stripe attempts. Morehead State was whistled for 27 fouls on the night, including six by the first media timeout, while the Bearcats committed 20. Cobb's big night led to a 33-11 upper hand in bench points for UC.
Junior Brent Arrington paced three Eagles in double figures with 21 points on 8-of-14 from the floor and 4-of-6 from long distance. Senior Angelo Warner added 14 points and six rebounds for MSU, while senior Kareem Storey contributed 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
CLEVELAND STATE 60, JACKSONVILLE STATE 46
CLEVELAND - Cleveland State used its size on the boards and a pair of runs to close Jacksonville State's three-game road trip with a 60-46 defeat at the Wolstein Center on Wednesday.
The longer and experienced Vikings (2-1), who were picked to finish second in the Horizon League in 2014-15, outrebounded the Gamecocks (0-3) and had two 9-0 runs in the win.
Jacksonville State got 16 points from senior D.J. Felder, who also led his team with seven boards, while fellow senior Darion Rackley added 10 points in the loss.
Three Vikings scored in double figures, led by Kaza Keane's 13, while Anton Grady and Marlin Mason pitched in 12 and 10, respectively. Mason led all players with eight boards to pace a 39-24 CSU advantage on the boards.
The Gamecocks saw a 9-0 first half run by the Vikings create some separation and another in the second half put the game away. They had a 10-0 run to cut it to an 11-point deficit but couldn't draw closer.
Junior Dontay Jackson added five points off the bench for JSU, who also got five from starting guard JaQuail Townser. The Gamecocks struggled from the floor and from behind the arc, while CSU managed a 40 percent night from the field to earn the win.
After the two teams went back-and forth for most of the first half, the Vikings used a late run to take a double-digit lead into the locker room at the break. Townser connected on a 3-pointer with 6:20 left in the half to make it a 22-19 CSU lead.
The home team went on a run from there, scoring the next nine points and 12 of the final 15 to take a 34-21 halftime lead. On the final play of a half where almost nothing went the Gamecocks' way, the Vikings' Keane drained a desperation heave from his own free throw line that beat the buzzer and gave his team the 13-point advantage.
The Gamecocks cut the lead to 10 early on in the second half but the Vikings had another 9-0 run in them, this one to push their lead to 53-32 with 9:30 left in the game.
JSU went on a run of its own from that point, scoring the next 10 points to cut the CSU lead to 53-42. The Gamecocks looked to get another defensive stop before a late whistle bailed out the Vikings' Mason and sent him to the line to stop the JSU run.
SAMFORD 68, AUSTIN PEAY 67
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Despite being just 2-of-20 from the floor so far this season, Evan Taylor stepped up when it counted. The freshman guard hit a step back jump shot with 0.9 seconds left and Samford thwarted Austin Peay State University's comeback bid as the Governors fell, 68-67, Wednesday night in Pete Hanna Center.
The Governors, now 1-2 on the season, trailed by as many as 18 first-half points and 11 early in the second half but clawed their way to the lead, 65-63, on a Chris Freeman short hook shot over 6-10 Michael Bradley with 2:01 remaining. It was APSU's first lead since owning a 13-10 advantage with 13:19 left in the opening half.
But Samford cut it to one at the free throw line and then took the lead when Christen Cunningham drove to the basket and shot over Tre' Ivory for a 66-65 lead with 56 second left.
With freshman guards Tre' Ivory and Josh Robinson on the court the Govs struggled getting a desired look. Finally with the shot clock winding down Khalil Davis forced up a shot that failed to draw iron. However, Chris Horton grabbed the miss and laid it in with 22 seconds left for a 67-66 advantage. He was fouled but failed to convert the three-point play, leaving it up to Taylor to provide the game-winning heroics.
Taylor entered the game 1-of-14 for the season and was 1-of-6 in Wednesday's game before hitting the game winner.
Horton and Freeman again sparked the Govs comeback. Freeman scored 12 of his 16 points in the final half while Horton tallied 13 in the final 20 minutes. In fact, Horton followed up his Sunday triple double against Berea with a double-double with a game-high 22 points and 12 rebounds against Samford. He also had four blocks.
Perimeter shooting definitely is one area the Govs must improve. The Govs converted 3-of-15 from three-point range. Take Horton and Freeman's production away, the remaining Govs were just 8 of 33 from the floor as APSU shot 24 of 56 (42.9 percent) from the floor, a woeful 10 of 29 (35 percent) in the first half.
The Govs also must receive more bench production. Josh Robinson's second-half three pointer was APSU's only bench points. APSU's bench was a combined 1-of-9 from the floor with three rebounds in 41 minutes.
Despite making just 2-of-6 shots, Khalil Davis finished with nine points, eight rebounds, eight assists and three steals. Zavion Williams also had five assists to go with nine points before fouling out with 4:55 left.
Cunningham led Samford, now 1-2, with 14 points. Brandon Roberts added 11. APSU held scoreless Samford leading scorer Tyler Hood.
BELMONT 96, TREVECCA NAZARENE 76
NASHVILLE - In front of an exuberant home-opening crowd, Belmont University men's basketball defeated Trevecca Nazarene, 96-76, Wednesday night.
With junior Craig Bradshaw picking up a second personal foul three and a half minutes into the game, Belmont turned to sophomore Nick Smith to provide some scoring punch. Consecutive three-pointers from sophomore Taylor Barnette gave Belmont a 19-16 lead nine minutes in.
But after six ties and five lead changes in the opening 10 minutes, Jalen Palm gave Trevecca a 22-21 lead with a wing three-pointer. But Belmont methodically built a working margin, using its halfcourt execution and balanced attack. Smith and sophomore Caleb Chowbay replied with back-to-back three-pointers before junior Jeff Laidig completed the 8-0 run.
After a jump hook from freshman Amanze Egekeze, senior Reece Chamberlain would score an acrobatic layin to push the Bruin lead to 35-25. On the final possession of the half, senior Spencer Turner set up sophomore Evan Bradds for a reverse layin as Belmont took a 43-32 lead at halftime.
Belmont shot 43 percent (13-for-30) from the field in the opening 20 minutes - including 6-for-18 from three-point distance. The Bruins forced 10 first half turnovers.
The Bruins would score 19 of the first 25 points of the second half to break the game open, riding the red-hot shooting of Barnette. He would make four three-point field goals in the first 3:22 of the second half, giving Belmont a 60-38 advantage.
Bradds and Bradshaw would continue to provide consistent production, as the Bruins found the range from all angles. A three-pointer from Smith, and baskets from freshman Mack Mercer and Barnette pushed the lead to 95-66 with 4:09 remaining.
All told, Belmont shot 53 percent (32-for-61) from the field - including 15-for-33 from three-point distance. The Bruins had 21 assists on 32 made field goals.
Barnette led five Bruins in double figures with a career-high 27 points. Smith scored a career-high 17 points, while Bradds added 12. Chamberlain had 11 points, nine assists, six rebounds and three steals. Bradshaw scored 10.
Palm led Trevecca with 17 points.