SATURDAY'S SCORES
Chattanooga 62,
Jacksonville State 52 (Niceville, Fla.)
@Mississippi State 76,
UT Martin 51
@Eastern Kentucky 98, Southern Utah 85
Loyola Marymount 73,
@Southeast Missouri 60
@Morehead State 61, Southern Miss 46
@Butler 89,
SIUE 73
@Tennessee Tech 93, UC Clermont 64
Tennessee State 56, @Kennesaw State 49
@Austin Peay 74, Samford 73
@Murray State 63, Alabama A&M 61
Green Bay 81,
@Eastern Illinois 72
@BYU 95,
Belmont 81
CHATTANOOGA 62, JACKSONVILLE STATE 52
NICEVILLE, Fla. - Freshman Christian Cunningham notched his first career double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, but Jacksonville State fell 62-52 to Chattanooga in the championship of their Emerald Coast Classic bracket on Saturday.
Cunningham set new career highs in points and rebounds and junior Erik Durham scored 17 points for the Gamecocks (3-6), but the Mocs (5-1) had just enough firepower to escape JSU's upset bid.
Cunningham also blocked three shots for JSU, who got 10 points from his freshman counterpart Jared Hamilton. The Gamecocks leading scorer Malcolm Drumwright couldn't get it going offensively, going just 1-for-11 from the floor but dishing five assists.
Justin Tuoyo led UTC with 14 points, while Casey Jones added 11.
Durham was named to the Emerald Coast Classic All-Tournament Team after averaging 20 points over two games that saw him go 10-for-16 from behind the arc.
The Gamecocks and Mocs were locked in a defensive slugfest early on before the 3-pointers starting falling for UTC. Both teams went 8-for-23 from the field in the first 20 minutes, but UTC was 5-for-10 from behind the arc, while JSU was 1-for-8.
UTC gradually pulled ahead to start the second half and built a 45-31 lead with just over 13 minutes to play. The Gamecocks clawed back to cut it to seven at 49-42, but a Tuoyo 3-point play stopped the bleeding for a moment.
JSU then got a Durham layup and back-to-back dunks from Cunningham cut the deficit to six at 54-48 with 3:30 to play. The Mocs answered again, using an 8-1 run to put the game out of reach.
MISSISSIPPI STATE 76, UT MARTIN 51
STARKVILLE, Miss. - The University of Tennessee at Martin men’s basketball team was within three points in the early stages of the second half at Southeastern Conference opponent Mississippi State but the Bulldogs took advantage of a lengthy run in a 76-51 Skyhawk loss at Humphrey Coliseum.
Chandler Rowe converted a tough basket inside with 15:52 remaining to get UT Martin (2-5) within three points at 38-35. However, the Skyhawks would miss their next 10 shots in addition to committing five turnovers over the next 6:08, as Mississippi State (3-3) scored 18 unanswered points to open up a wide lead that UT Martin could not battle back from.
Myles Taylor and Richard Lee shared the Skyhawk team lead with 11 points. Taylor added a team-best six rebounds while Twymond Howard compiled 10 points, three rebounds, three assists and a career-high three blocks for UT Martin, who shot 40 percent (22-for-55) in the contest.
Mississippi State was led by Gavin Ware’s 22 points and 10 rebounds. Quinnary Weatherspoon chipped in 16 points off the bench while IJ Ready added 10 points for the Bulldogs, who were limited to 22.2 percent shooting (4-for-18) from three-point range but shot 56.3 percent (18-for-32) in the second half.
A bucket by Taylor opened the game’s scoring at the 18:50 mark while a Rowe tip-in less than a minute later provided UT Martin with a 4-2 advantage. The Bulldogs answered with an 8-2 run until a Lee three-pointer from the right corner cut the Skyhawk deficit to 10-9 with 12 minutes to go in the first half.
Mississippi State used a 9-3 run to go on top by a 19-12 margin before a pull-up jumper by Lee and a three-pointer from Alex Anderson pulled UT Martin within six points (23-17) with less than six minutes remaining before the halftime break.
Another Lee three-pointer and a strong drive to the basket by Howard sliced the Skyhawk deficit to four points with two minutes left to play in the half. Anderson then scored five consecutive points in the span of 49 seconds before UT Martin settled for a 36-29 halftime deficit.
Lee and Anderson each had eight points to lead the Skyhawks at the break, as UT Martin made 46.2 percent (12-for-26) of its shot attempts. Weatherspoon scored nine points to pace Mississippi State, who grabbed 11 offensive rebounds for nine second-chance points in the first 20 minutes of play.
Howard accounted for the first two UT Martin baskets in the second half, allowing the Skyhawks to trim their deficit to 38-35 behind a 6-2 run. However, the Bulldogs responded with the aforementioned 18-0 run to create some separation.
UT Martin concluded its scoreless drought with a Taylor offensive rebound and layup at the 7:41 mark. Taylor came right back with another bucket on the Skyhawks’ next possession while Variste added a pair of layups in a span of 1:09 to keep UT Martin’s offense flowing. The Skyhawks kept battling but eventually the deficit was too large for UT Martin to overcome.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 98, SOUTHERN UTAH 85
RICHMOND, Ky. - Senior K.J. Bluford came off the bench in the first half to knock down four three-pointers on four straight possessions, giving the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team a cushion it would never relinquish in a 98-85 victory over Southern Utah on Saturday afternoon at McBrayer Arena.
EKU (6-1) trailed in the first half, 12-11, until junior Jaylen Babb-Harrison connected on a three that put the Colonels up 14-12 with 12:47 showing on the clock. With Eastern still clinging to a 19-17 lead, Bluford blew the game open by sinking four consecutive three-pointers to extend the margin to 31-19 at the 7:29 mark.
The Colonels had a nine point lead at halftime, 42-33. Freshman Nick Mayo scored the first basket of the second half to extend the margin to 11 points. EKU maintained a double digit lead the rest of the game.
Senior Jarelle Reischel’s offensive rebound and put-back with 8:11 left in the game gave Eastern Kentucky its largest lead of 19 points, 78-59.
Junior JaVontae Hawkins led Eastern in scoring with 20 points. He also grabbed six boards, dished three assists and came up with three steals. Reischel was close behind with 19 points, followed by Mayo at 18. Bluford went 4-for-7 from three-point range and finished with 14 points.
EKU entered the game ninth in the nation in scoring at 93 points-per-game. The Colonels ranked sixth in the country in field goal percentage (54.1 percent) and three-point percentage (44.4 percent). The team shot 58 percent from the field against Southern Utah and made 50 percent of its three-pointers.
Sophomore Paul Jackson contributed 11 points and eight assists in the victory.
Southern Utah was led in scoring by Trey Kennedy, who had 20 points in addition to seven assists. Travon Langston also put up 15 for the Thunderbirds.
EKU’s defense forced the Thunderbirds into 19 turnovers and the Colonels scored 30 points off those turnovers
SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 73, LOYOLA MARYMOUNT 60
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Loyola Marymount (4-2) made 10 three-pointers and had five players score double figures in a 73-60 win over Southeast Missouri (0-5) Saturday afternoon at the Show Me Center.
LMU took its first lead of the game on a Brandon Brown jumper with 7:13 left to play in the first half and never trailed again.
The Lions, who were ahead by just two (33-31) at the half, made a perfect 11-of-11 free throws and opened up a double-digit lead in the game's final 20 minutes.
A pair of free throws by Joshua Spiers widened LMU's lead to 56-45 with 7:56 left to play. David Humphries and Steven Haney then buried a 3-pointer to give the Lions their biggest lead at 62-47.
After Munis Tutu's free throws gave LMU a 66-51 advantage at the 4:04 mark, Southeast went on a 9-0 run to pull to within six.
Eric McGill, who was cleared to play before tipoff after missing Tuesday's game with a concussion, knocked down a 3-pointer before Antonius Cleveland and Joel Angus III each made a jumper. Cleveland's two free throws made it a 66-60 game with 1:30 remaining.
On LMU's next possession following Cleveland's free throws, Humphries drained a thee and the Lions scored the last seven points of the game to close out their 73-60 victory.
Cleveland led all Southeast scorers with 17 points, while Angus, Trey Kellum and Isiah Jones followed with nine apiece. Ladarius Coleman also came off the bench to grab a game-high 10 rebounds.
The Redhawks outrebounded LMU, 42-37, marking the third-straight game where Southeast outrebounded its opponent.
Shooting wise, Southeast shot just 35.7 percent (20-of-56) from the field and 33.3 percent (10-of-30) in the second half. The Redhawks were just 1-of-9 from 3-point range in the second stanza, as well. In addition, Southeast committed 18 turnovers on the day.
Tutu led all LMU scorers with 13 points, while Humphries made four 3-pointers and scored 12 points. Spiers, Adom Jacko and Haney added 10 each.
The Lions didn't shoot much better from the field, hitting 36.5 percent (23-of-63) of their attempts. LMU missed just twice at the free throw line, going 17-of-19 for 89.5 percent.
Southeast had all 13 of its players available for the first time in five games this season. Jamaal Calvin played seven minutes of the bench in his first contest this year. The Redhawks are now 19-6 in home-openers since joining the NCAA Division I ranks in 1991-92.
MOREHEAD STATE 61, SOUTHERN MISS 46
MOREHEAD, Ky. - The Morehead State Eagles defeated the Southern Miss Golden Eagles, 61-46, on Saturday afternoon at Johnson Arena. Morehead State improves to 4-1 on the season, while Southern Miss falls to 0-4.
The Eagles started the game on an 8-0 run and never looked back, leading the entire way. They led by as many as 24, at 60-36, with just under four minutes to go.
MSU finished the game shooting 38 percent from the field, compared to Southern Miss' 34 percent. The Eagles won the rebounding battle, 43-24, led by junior DeJuan Marrero, who finished with six boards.
Morehead State dominated the game down low, outscoring Southern Miss, 24-4, in the paint.
Sophomore guard Miguel Dicent and junior guard Corban Collins led the Eagles in scoring with 12 points each, they also finished with a team-high four assists.
Senior Lyonell Gaines contributed nine points, senior Brent Arrington notched seven, while senior Anthony Elechi and junior Xavier Moon each finished with six.
BUTLER 89, SIUE 73
INDIANAPOLIS - IUE men's basketball forced seven first-half turnovers and trailed 39-38 at the break, but Butler pulled away in the second half to score an 89-73 win in front of 7,026 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
After turning the ball over themselves just three times over the first 20 minutes, the Cougars turned the ball over 10 times in the second half including six over the first six-plus minutes of the period.
Grant Fiorentinos led SIUE with a 17 points, including 14 in the first half. He was 5 for 6 from the field and 5 for 6 from the free throw line. Fiorentinos was joined in double figures by Burak Eslik, who equaled his career high with 16 points, C.J. Carr (13) and Carlos Anderson (12).
The Cougars put together a strong offensive game, connecting on 52.4 percent (11-21) second-half shots and shooting a season-high 46.2 percent (24-52) for the game.
Butler had five players finish in double figures in scoring. The Bulldogs got 32 points from Kellen Dunham who knocked down five three-pointers. Tyler Wideman scored 13 points, Andrew Chrabascz and Tyler Lewis each scored 12 points and Roosevelt Jones chipped in 11 points and six rebounds.
The Bulldogs were 30-53 (56.6 percent) from the field.
TENNESSEE TECH 91, UC CLERMONT 66
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. - Tennessee Tech remained unbeaten in Eblen Center this season and claimed its 12th consecutive non-conference home victory Saturday night with a relatively easy 91-66 decision over UC Clermont.
Tech’s busy Thanksgiving weekend wraps up Sunday afternoon with the final game in the Air Force Classic as Tech (4-2) hosts Mississippi Valley State at 2 p.m. It will be Tech’s third consecutive day on the court and fourth game in a six-day span.
On a night when coach Steve Payne used his bench liberally, nobody logged an abundance of playing time and that meant no eye-popping individual numbers.Tech’s starting five was seated well before midway through each half.
The two benches accounted for 107 of the 157 points in the contest, with Tech’s non-starters netting 58 points.
Two players off the bench led the Golden Eagles, each posting career-highs in the scoring column. Guard Tre Hansbrough, a 6-foot-3 true freshman from Buford, Ga.,topped the chart with 19 points, hitting 5-of-10 from the floor and 8-of-10 at the free throw line, along with three assists.
Mason Ramsey, a 6-6 sophomore from Livingston, Tenn., added 17 points while hitting 7-for-9 from the floor with two assists and two blocked shots.
Ten different Golden Eagles put points on the board, with three more reaching double figures. Ryan Martin had 11 points and seven rebounds in 13 minutes of action, while Anthony Morse had 11 points, five rebounds and three blocked shots in 15 minutes.
Markell Henderson, a 6-5 sophomore transfer, also notched a career-high with 11 points on 5-for-7 shooting.
Clermont was led by two players off the bench, as well. Roderick Avery scored 17 and grabbed five rebounds, while Dorian Henry added 17 points on 5-for-9shooting. The pair combined to go 14-for-15 at the free throw line. Zaire Henry had nine points and dished out seven assists.
Tech shot 57 percent in the first half and raised that to a mark of 69.2 percent (18-for-26) in the second half, finishing the game hitting 34-for-54 for 63 percent from the floor. Tech held a 38-26 advantage in rebounds and had 25 assists.
Clermont shot 39.7 percent for the game (23-for-58), and went 15-for-17 at the free throw line.
TENNESSEE STATE 56, KENNESAW STATE 49
KENNESAW, Ga. - The Tennessee State men’s basketball team earned a 56-49 road victory over Kennesaw State at the KSU Convocation Center on Saturday night behind a team-high 14 points from Tahjere McCall. At 4-2, the Tigers are one win shy of matching last year’s win total of five.
For TSU (4-2) it is the program’s best start through six games since the 1994-95 season. The Tigers led Kennesaw State (1-6) by as many as 18 points in the second half and held on as the Owls cut the deficit to five in the final three minutes.
In addition to McCall’s 14 points, Keron DeShields added 13 points, while Christian Griggs-Williams collected a career-high 11 rebounds in the victory.
A sluggish start left the Tigers with just one point in the opening 4:43 as the Owls flew out to a 5-1 lead in the early going. The lead was short-lived, however, with TSU responding with a 7-0 run highlighted by a steal and acrobatic layup from DeShields that put the Tigers in front at 8-5.
After the homestanding Owls leveled the scoring at 10-10 on Nigel Pruitt’s jumper, the Tigers went up for good on the following possession on McCall’s layup.
Later in the half with TSU holding a 22-17 lead, the Tigers clamped down on defense and were able to keep Kennesaw State off the scoreboard for the final 5:13 of the half. A 10-0 run to close the first half gave the Tigers a 32-17 halftime lead.
The 17 points allowed in the first half are the fewest this season and second-fewest in the Dana Ford era at TSU.
The Tigers lead ballooned to 18 points in the second half on DeShields’ three with 12:15 left for a 45-27 advantage. The Owls were able to close the TSU lead down to nine on an Aubrey Williams layup to put the score at 48-39 with 6:50 remaining.
With the outcome still up in the air, Wayne Martin finished a layup for a 54-47 lead and Griggs-Williams had a tip-in on the following possession for a 56-47 advantage with 1:10 left to pull away.
TSU held a 35-20 advantage in points in the paint and limited the Owls to 35.8 percent (19-for-53) shooting. On the other end, the Tigers finished 42.0 percent (21-for-50) on field goals.
AUSTIN PEAY 74, SAMFORD 73
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. - Kenny Jones scored a season-high 23 points, but it was junior guard Josh Robinson who sealed the verdict with a pair of free throws with eight seconds left as Austin Peay State University held off Samford, 74-73, in non-conference basketball action, Saturday night, in Dave Aaron Arena.
The victory was the third straight for the 3-4 Governors, who halted 5-2 Samford’s five-game winning streak in the process.
Jones, who scored 15 points in APSU’s victory last Sunday against Northern Colorado, surpassed that total in the first half. The 6-6 junior from South Bend, Indiana, was on the receiving end of fastbreak passes against the Samford press as well as the Bulldogs’ focus on fellow frontcourter Chris Horton. He tallied 18 first-half points on 8-of-9 shooting (he finished 10 of 12). As a result, APSU built a 42-30 halftime advantage.
But Samford didn’t win this week’s Mean Green Showcase without facing adversity. The Bulldogs, who fell behind by as much as 15 points early in the second half, came storming back using a multitude of runs—one of 6-0 and another 8-0—to trim APSU’s lead to four, 54-50, with just under 12 minutes remaining.
From the second second-half media timeout on would see the Govs would rebuild the lead back to nine on two occasions and to eight on another. The latter occasion came with 1:48 left when Josh Robinson hit a pair of free throws to make it a 70-62 game. But Matt Rose answered with a layup and then followed with a three pointer and the lead was cut to three, 70-67, with 51 seconds left.
But Robinson responded with a driving left-handed layup with 22 seconds left to put the game at 72-67. But the Govs fouled Jamal Shabazz, who made five three pointers on the night after coming in shooting just 22 percent from behind the arc, attempting a three pointer. He converted all three to make it a two-point game.
Robinson was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass and calmly went to the line with eight ticks left, sinking both free throws to give APSU a 74-70 lead. Shabazz, who finished with a game-high 24 points, made an inconsequential three pointer at the buzzer for the final margin.
The Governors, who shot 59 percent (16 of 27) from the floor in the first half, made just 11 of 29 (38 percent) in the second half while Samford connected on 53 percent (16 of 30) in the second half, largely aiding its comeback.
In addition to Jones, three other Govs scored in double figures. Robinson finished with 15 points, including five second-half free throws while Khalil Davis added 13 and Chris Horton 12. Horton, the preseason All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, overcame a difficult shooting night to record his season’s fifth double-double (12 points, 14 rebounds) and 41st in his career. Thompson, meanwhile, failed to score but finished with a season-high five assists from the point-guard position.
After losing some close games to IPFW and Cal Poly, the Governors executed down the stretch to hold off the Bulldogs, who also got double digits from Christen Cunningham (13 points), Rose (13) and Darius Jones-Gibson (10).
MURRAY STATE 63, ALABAMA A&M 61
MURRAY, Ky. - The Murray State Racers moved their home win streak to 18 with a 63-61 win over the Alabama A&M Bulldogs Saturday night at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.
Led by Wayne Langston's first MSU double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, and 16 points from Gee McGhee, the Racers upped their record to 5-2. Bryce Jones added 12 points to the Racer attack.
This was a come-from-behind win for Murray State, after it looked bleak at the 6:43 mark and the Bulldogs in front
56-52.
The Racers locked down and held AAMU to 1-of-7 from the field in the final minutes and hit some large free throws. Langston hit a pair at the line to tie it 56-56 with 4:26 left and Jeffery Moss' jumper tied it again 58-58 with 2:37 left. Langston hit a free throw to give MSU the lead for good with 1:42. Still, AAMU had the last shot at the buzzer, but a would-be tying jumper fell off the rim and the Racers had their third win in their last four outings.
MSU led 40-34 at the half while hitting half of their 30 attempts; they found a way to win even with shooting 23 percent in the second half on 6-of-26 shots. MSU's defensive effort helped hold the Bulldogs to 32 percent in the second half on 9-of-28.
The Racers trailed by only one rebound total, but managed to limited AAMU to three offensive rebounds in the second half.
GREEN BAY 81, EASTERN ILLINOIS 72
CHARLESTON, Ill. - The Eastern Illinois University men’s basketball team led for a majority of the first 30 minutes in their game against Green Bay on Saturday night (Nov. 28), but a late surge from the Phoenix in the final 10 minutes of the contest saw the Panthers fall short 81-72 and drop to 0-4 on the season.
The Panthers got things started early as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead after a pair of layups from Demetrius McReynolds. The Phoenix would use a 12-0 run to take an 18-11 lead with 13:06 remaining in the first half. The Panthers battled back as a pair of free-throws from A.J. Riley knotted the score at 23-23 with 06:46 remaining in the half. Luke Norman put EIU ahead 37-31 with 01:19 as he scored on a pair of free-throws, as the score would remain that way at halftime.
Just like they did in the first half, the Panthers came out of the gates firing to begin the second half as they would see their lead increase to as many as 10 points at 43-33 after another Riley layup at the 16:21 mark. The Panthers would begin to cool down as Green Bay went on a 17-7 run to take a 50-49 lead with 09:47 left to play. The Panthers quickly took the lead right back following a layup by Patrick Muldoon. A three-pointer by Green Bay’s Tevin Findlay put the Phoenix back ahead 56-55 with just over seven minutes remaining in the second half.
Cornell Johnston pulled EIU within four points late in the half, but clutch free-throw shooting from Green Bay down the stretch sealed the 81-72 victory over the Panthers.
Riley finished the night with 25 points to lead EIU, as Trae Anderson added 14, and McReynolds with 12.
BYU 95, BELMONT 81
PROVO, Utah - Despite leading into the second half, Belmont University men's basketball dropped a 95-81 decision at BYU Saturday night.
The Bruins, short-handed without the services of forwards Amanze Egekeze and Nick Smith, led by as many as 11 in the first half behind the play of Craig Bradshaw.
Bradshaw, who scored a career-high 42 points one year to the day at Ohio, was scintillating with 19 first half points as Belmont led 42-40 at the break.
But BYU, a strong outside shooting team which entered the night mysteriously just 28 percent from three-point distance, warmed up in the second half. Nick Emery and Chase Fischer led a stretch to give the hosts a double figure lead.
Evan Bradds got Belmont within nine late, but BYU went 15-for-19 from the free throw line in the second half.
Bradshaw (4-3) led Belmont with 26 points on 9-for-12 shooting. Mack Mercer added 16.