MONDAY'S SCORES
@Butler 64,
UT Martin 37
@Florida Atlantic 69,
Eastern Kentucky 66
@SIUE 63, Chicago State 38
Ole Miss 82,
Southeast Missouri 51 (Southaven, Miss.)
Murray State 83, @Southern Illinois 71
Tennessee Tech 81, @UMKC 60
@Air Force 66,
Jacksonville State 65 (OT)
BUTLER 64, UT MARTIN 37
INDIANAPOLIS - Arkeem Joseph established new career-highs in scoring and rebounding tonight for the University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball team but the Skyhawks fell in a tough 64-37 loss to Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Joseph also contributed a career-high 32 minutes this evening, scoring 12 points to go along with seven rebounds for UT Martin (7-4). He made five of his eight shot attempts and also blocked a shot for the Skyhawks, who forced Butler into 16 turnovers but struggled offensively with season-lows in points (37) and field goal percentage (33.3 percent).
Butler, who has spent a majority of the season ranked in the top-25, was led by Andrew Chrabascz’s 17 points. Kellen Dunham (15 points) and Kelan Martin (10 points) also chipped in with double-figures in the scoring column for the Bulldogs, who improve to 9-3.
Baskets by Twymond Howard and Deville Smith provided the Skyhawks with a 4-0 lead through the first 2:10 of the contest. However, Butler answered with an 11-0 run over the next four minutes to tilt the score back in its favor.
A step-in three-pointer by Alex Anderson and another driving bucket by Howard sliced the Skyhawk deficit down to two points (11-9) with 12:41 remaining in the first half. The Bulldogs then scored the next six points and would later use a 7-2 spurt to go on top by a 29-16 margin with 4:25 remaining in the first half.
The UT Martin defense then stepped up and held Butler without a field goal for the rest of the half, closing out the half on a 7-2 run to make the score 31-23 at the break. Smith, Howard and Anderson each sank shots during the run to get the Skyhawks back within single digits.
Howard, Anderson and Smith each had six points to lead UT Martin in the first half while Dunham’s 11 points paced the Bulldogs.
Butler began the second half with back-to-back three-pointers as part of an 8-0 run. The Skyhawks would close back within 12 points but the Bulldogs immediately came back with 10 unanswered points to go ahead 47-27 with 13:33 left to play in the contest.
Joseph did his best to keep UT Martin close – scoring nine of the Skyhawks’ final 12 points. The Skyhawks held Butler scoreless for nearly three full minutes during the waning stages of the second half but UT Martin could not make up ground offensively.
FLORIDA ATLANTIC 69, EASTERN KENTUCKY 66
BOCA RATON, Fla. - In a game that saw 13 lead changes and 12 ties, Eastern Kentucky came up short in a 69-66 loss at Florida Atlantic on Monday.
With the game tied for the final time, 60-60, FAU’s Javier Lacunza hit a three-pointer from the corner with four seconds left on the shot clock to give his team the lead for good. The Owls (6-4) went up by six, 68-62, on a three-pointer by Jackson Trapp with 27 seconds left in the game.
EKU (6-5) scored four straight on a dunk by Ja’Mill Powell and a lay-up by Corey Walden to get within two. Trapp missed one of two free throws with four seconds remaining leaving the Colonels with a chance to tie, but Walden’s shot from one step inside half court missed.
Walden led Eastern with 15 points to go along with four steals and three rebounds. Eric Stutz added 13 points, six assists and five rebounds.
Trapp hit six 3-pointers and had a game-high 19 points. Kelvin Penn finished with eight points and 14 rebounds. Florida Atlantic hit 11-of-21 from three-point range (52.4 percent) and out-rebounded the Colonels by 16.
The teams battled to a 30-30 tie in the first half after exchanging runs. EKU scored the first five points and led 7-2 early. FAU went on an 18-5 run to take a 20-12 advantage. The Colonels answered with a 12-2 run to go on top by two, 24-22. Denzel Richardson made to lay-ups, the second coming with one second left in the first half, to send the Colonels to the locker room tied.
Six straight by Eastern with about 12 minutes left in the game gave the visitors a five-point margin, their largest of the second half. However, Florida Atlantic answered with six straight of its own to erase the lead and go up by one, 46-45, with 10:16 left to play.
SIUE 63, CHICAGO STATE 38
EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. - SIUE allowed its lowest point total in nearly eight seasons Monday, cruising to a 63-38 victory over Chicago State in men's basketball at the Vadalabene Center.
SIUE (3-7) won consecutive games for the first time this season. Chicago State has dropped nine of its last 10 games and is now 3-11.
The 38 points allowed is the fewest by SIUE ever against a Division I opponent. It also is the lowest point total for an opponent since a 62-29 win over Missouri S&T Jan. 21, 2006.
SIUE used the stingy defense to force a season-high 25 turnovers by Chicago State, and subsequently turned those miscues into 19 points. SIUE collected 11 steals, also a season-high.
Rozell Nunn opened the scoring with a three-point basket just 21 seconds into the game, and SIUE never trailed. Chicago State only managed a tie twice during the course of the evening. Trayvon Palmer knocked down a three-pointer to answer's Nunn's opening blow to make it 3-3. Anthony Glover tied the score 6-6 with a three-pointer at 16:25.
SIUE held Chicago State scoreless over a 10:03 span which covered the final 3:25 of the first half and carried nearly seven minutes into the second half. SIUE took a 36-21 lead into halftime and ballooned the lead to 44-21 before Sean Hill ended the drought for CSU with a three-pointer with 13:22 to play.
SIUE allowed just 17 second-half points and built its lead to as many as 27 (63-36) when Nunn sank a pair of free throws with just 50 seconds to play.
Davis led SIUE in scoring with 16 points. Nunn and Michael Messer each scored 15 points. Nunn was 3 for 3 from three-point range and 6 of 11 from the free throw line.
Jake Newton chipped in nine points off the bench on 3-of-4 shooting from three-point range. For the second consecutive game nine players played at least 10 minutes for SIUE.
SIUE could have put the game away sooner but struggled from the free throw line for the second game in a row. The Cougars were 19 of 35 in the game, and 8 for 19 in the first half.
Johnny Griffin led Chicago State offensively with six points and eight rebounds. Palmer had five points and six rebounds.
OLE MISS 82, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 51
SOUTHAVEN, Miss. - Terence Smith scored 16 points to lead four starters in double figures as Ole Miss (8-3) beat Southeast Missouri (5-7), 82-51, Monday night during the inaugural Jack Jones Classic at the Landers Center.
Southeast, which dropped its third-straight game, suffered its largest loss of the season.
The Redhawks fell into a big hole early after missing eight of their first 10 field goals. While Southeast struggled to get shots to fall, Ole Miss scored the first seven points of the game to ignite its scorching start.
All five Rebel starters contributed to a 19-4 run in the game's first 6:05. Smith, formerly of UT Martin, and Stefan Moody each buried a three. Former Tennessee State forward M.J. Rhett also added six points to key the jaunt that ended on an Aaron Jones jumper with 13:55 remaining.
Josh Langford gave Southeast a nice boost off the bench with six points in six minutes and made a layup to cut the Rebels lead to 25-18 with just under nine minutes left.
Ole Miss, however, countered by outscoring the Redhawks 22-6 the rest of the first half to take a hefty 47-24 lead at the break.
Smith (10) and Rhett (12) both established new season-highs in the first half alone. Ole Miss shot 52.9 percent (18-of-34) from the field in the opening period, over 20 percent better than Southeast's .324 mark.
The Rebels didn't cool off much in the second half, making seven of their final 15 field goals.
Ladarius White's two free throws gave Ole Miss its biggest lead of the night at 77-46 with two minutes left before the Rebels put their win on ice.
Smith shot 4-of-7 from the field, 3-of-4 from downtown and 5-of-6 at the free throw line en route to his game-high. Rhett followed with 14 points, while Stefan Moody added 13 and Sebastian Saiz pitched in 11, helping head coach Andy Kennedy get his 200th career win.
The Rebels shot 51 percent (25-of-49) from the field and 83.9 percent (26-of-31) at the free throw line. The SEC's top free throw shooting team, Ole Miss shot 18 more free throws than Southeast. Additionally, the Rebels outrebounded the Redhawks, 39-29.
Jarekious Bradley was the only Redhawk in double figures with 10 points. Langford was close behind with eight points and five rebounds. Southeast had at least three players with double figures in the scoring column in 11-straight games prior to tonight.
MURRAY STATE 83, SOUTHERN ILLINOIS 71
CARBONDALE, Ill. - The Murray State Racers pushed their win streak to seven Monday in an 83-71 win against the Southern Illinois Salukis Monday at the SIU Arena in Carbondale, Ill.
The Racers (9-4) scored their third road win of the season.
MSU evened their all-time series with the Salukis 16-16 and won at the SIU Arena for the first time since 1990 breaking a four-game losing streak there.
Cameron Payne led MSU with 22 points, while Jeffery Moss added 21.
The Racers jumped out to a 15-9 lead at the start on the strength of 3-point baskets from Moss and Sapp and a fast-break dunk from Williams.
SIU battled back with a 6-0 run and took a 16-15 lead at 11:44.
SIU hit MSU with a 9-0 run that put them in front 32-27 at the 5:27 mark which promoted a Racer timeout.
MSU took at one-point lead at 2:48 on a Moss three and made it more on an amazing shot from Sapp. MSU had the length of the floor to go with 5.1 left in the half. Payne took the inbounds pass and fed Sapp on the wing who hit a contested-off balance three at the buzzer for a 44-39 lead at the break.
Payne started the second half with nine points on a pair of made threes and three free throws after he was fouled taking a three-pointer. MSU had their largest lead of the day with 16:43 remaining 55-46.
MSU pushed ahead by 11 points at the 13:57 mark when Rambo finished under the basket coming out of the media timeout and Sapp made a steal and finished for a 59-48 Racer lead. The lead went to 64-48 at 12:09 when Moss made a three-point play and Payne hit a jumper.
Justin Seymour answered an 8-0 SIU run with his own 5-0 run on free throws and a 3-pointer. MSU led 69-56 with 7:12 left.
TENNESSEE TECH 81, UMKC 60
KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Just flat out dominance. Not much more can be said of the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team's most recent match-up as the Golden Eagles took down UMKC in Kansas City Monday evening, 81-60.
The Golden Eagles (7-5) wasted no time jumping into the lead of their seventh win of the year, starting the contest on a 9-0 run while holding the Kangaroos (4-9) scoreless for the first six minutes and 53 seconds. UMKC never looked comfortable in the game, while Tech seemed almost like the home team in Municipal Auditorium.
High percentage shots were a key for most of the game for the Tech squad, which finished shooting 58.8 percent from the field for the game. The Golden Eagles also dominated the paint, out-rebounding the Roos by a whopping 23 boards, 45-23.
On a night where foul trouble spread across both lineups, the Golden Eagle bench stepped up in a big way, looking similar to the Chicago Bulls of the 1990's by extending and then holding a 20-point lead for the majority of the contest.
The Golden Eagles led wire-to-wire on the night, using distributed production to tame the Kangaroos. Ten Tech players scored in the contest, with five finishing in double-figures. The team also dished out 17 assists.
Leading Tech over UMKC was junior guard Josiah Moore, who finished with a team-high 14 points and tied a career-high with eight rebounds. He finished 6-of-9 from the field while hitting two treys in just 24 minutes of action.
Joining Moore off the bench to lead Tech was true freshman Aleksa Jugovic, who saw a career-best mark of 27 minutes. He tallied 11 points while recording a career-high six dimes, a total that could have been higher if not for some foul calls that were called on the floor.
Javon McKay got in on the rebounding action, totaling eight while also adding eight points on very efficient shooting. Double-double machine Charles Jackson was held to just 15 minutes of action due to early foul trouble in both halves, but still managed his 12th career double-figure scoring contest. He wrapped up play with 10 points and six rebounds.
Senior Dwan Caldwell managed 12 points and two blocks in 24 minutes, shooting an impressive 6-for-8 from the floor. Torrance Rowe looked well on his way to a career-high mark in points, scoring 11 in the first half alone while never missing a shot. He missed the final eight minutes of the first half and the entire second half after suffering a mild ankle injury.
AIR FORCE 66, JACKSONVILLE STATE 65 (OT)
USAFA, Colo. - Jacksonville State's upset bid came up inches short at Air Force on Monday, when the Falcons held on for a thrilling 66-65 overtime win at Clune Arena.
After Darion Rackley's tip in with two seconds left in regulation sent the Gamecocks (7-6) into overtime with the Falcons (6-4), JSU had a chance at a winner in the extra period that was blocked away.
Freshman Malcolm Drumwright drove left and found senior D.J. Felder under the basket, but his last second shot was blocked by Air Force's Max Yon to secure the win for Air Force.
Rackley led the Gamecocks with 23 points, thanks to a 4-for-8 night from behind the arc that also saw the St. Louis native grab five boards in 39 minutes on the floor.
Felder was the other Gamecock in double figures with 17 points and also pulled down seven rebounds, four on the offensive glass. Junior JaQuail Townser scored six but had a career-high seven rebounds and tied a career high with seven assists.
While the starting lineup put up the big numbers for the Gamecocks, it was young guys off of the bench that made the biggest difference down the stretch.
Drumwright scored eight, including a pair of key 3-pointers that helped JSU close the gap down the stretch, while sophomore Joe Kuligoski added a big 3-pointer and grabbed three big rebounds inside late in the game.
The Falcons got at least eight points from five players, a group that was led by Yon's 16. The Falcons' leading scorer struggled early but put his team on his back in overtime, when he scored seven of its nine points in the extra period and blocked the Gamecocks' attempt at a game winner.
The first half was an even one, on the that saw five ties and four lead changes before a 7-0 Air Force run helped them to the largest lead of the half at 28-23 with just over a minute left. JSU answered that run, scoring five of the next seven to cut the Falcons' lead to 30-28 at the intermission.
Felder scored 10 in the first half, while Rackley had nine.
To start the second half, the Falcons went outside the arc and got 3-pointers from Marek Olesinski and Kamryn Williams to build a 40-3 lead with just over 15 minutes to play.
They maintained that seven-point advantage to 42-35 before the Gamecocks bench stepped up. Drumwright and Kuligoski knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers to key an 8-1 run that tied the game 43-43 with 8:49 left in the game.
After a pair of Air Force free throws that reclaimed the lead for the Falcons, sophomore Undra Mitchem knocked down a 3-pointer from the left corner that gave JSU its first lead of the second half at 43-42.
The run continued until it reached 16-5 after another Drumwright trey that put the Gamecocks up 51-47 with just over four minutes to play.
The Falcons answered from there, getting a Williams free throw and the first 3-pointer of the night from leading Yon to tie the game again at 51-51 with 3:03 on the clock.
They reclaimed the lead on their next possession on another 3-pointer, this one by Zach Kokur from the right corner to make it a 54-51 Air Force advantage.
The Falcons held on onto the lead until the end of the second half, when Rackley tipped in an Avery Moore miss to send the game into overtime.
The Falcons started fast in overtime, scoring the first four points to build a 61-47 lead. The Gamecocks slowly cut into it, making it a one-point game in the final minute.
JSU got a defensive stop to claim possession and a chance to win it with 20 seconds left in the extra period.
The Gamecocks got the ball inside to Felder, whose last second attempt was blocked from behind by Yon to end the game.