WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
Northern Kentucky 84,
@Morehead State 79
@Eastern Kentucky 78, Western Kentucky 59
Fort Wayne 103,
@Austin Peay 99
NORTHERN KENTUCKY 84, MOREHEAD STATE 79
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomore guard Malik Maitland scored 18 points and dished out seven assists as Morehead State men's basketball fell 84-79 to Northern Kentucky on Wednesday night at Johnson Arena.
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 2-4 on the season.
Morehead State had five players finish in double figures and led for 23-plus minutes despite the loss. They also shot 51 percent from the floor, 9-of-14 from three-point range, and had 19 assists to just 11 turnovers.
But, the Eagles were outrebounded, 34-27, while Northern Kentucky shot 62 percent in the second half and 52 percent for the game. NKU also shot 20-of-31 from the free throw line, while MSU shot just 6-of-9.
Sophomore forward Drew McDonald led the way for the Norse with 32 points and 11 rebounds. He shot 12-of-14 from the floor and 3-of-4 from three point range.
Maitland shot 7-of-14 from the floor, 1-of-2 from three-point range, and 3-of-3 from the free throw line for his 18 points. He also added seven assists and three steals.
Junior guard Miguel Dicent added 16 points for the Eagles, 13 of which came in the first half, while sophomore forward Lamontray Harris had 15 points. Senior forward DeJuan Marrero finished with 12 points and six rebounds and senior guard Xavier Moon added 11 points.
EASTERN KENTUCKY 78, WESTERN KENTUCKY 59
RICHMOND, Ky. - The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team never trailed in beating in-state rival Western Kentucky, 78-59, in the latest edition of the Battle of the Bluegrass on Saturday at McBrayer Arena.
The Colonels (4-4) shot 59 percent in the second half and knocked down 13 three-pointers. EKU out-rebounded the Hilltoppers by four and committed four fewer turnovers.
A trifecta of treys from senior Isaac McGlone sparked an 11-3 run that ended on a layup by freshman Asante Gist to send the Colonels into the locker room with a 35-24 advantage.
WKU started the second half with a 9-2 run to cut the Eastern lead to four, 37-33. Freshman Parker Chitty put a halt to the run with a jumper. After a block by sophomore Nick Mayo, freshman Marlon Adams put the home team in front by eight with a lay-up.
The Colonels slowly built a 20-point advantage. With 4:37 remaining in the game, senior Jaylen Babb-Harrison squared up from the deep left corner to bury a three, giving EKU its largest lead of the night, 74-50.
Four Colonels netted double digits on the night: Gist (19), Mayo (14), McGlone (14), and Babb-Harrison (13). Babb-Harrison also paced EKU in rebounds with seven.
EKU fired a season-best 50.9 percent from the field, with the bench accounting for 33 of the Colonels’ 78 points.
Eastern held the Toppers to 38.1 percent shooting from the field. Justin Johnson still managed to come up with 18 points and eight rebounds.
EKU snapped a 13-game losing streak to the Hilltoppers, dating back to 1987.
FORT WAYNE 103, AUSTIN PEAY 99
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Bryson Scott and Kason Harrell each scored 21 points and Indiana-Purdue-Fort Wayne held off Austin Peay in a wild second half, 103-99 on Wednesday night.
The teams combined to score 118 points over the final 20 minutes of play and it's the second straight 100-point game for Fort Wayne, which scored 107 in a win over NAIA Siena Heights on Monday.
Five Mastodons scored in double figures and Fort Wayne (6-2) hit 11 three-pointers. All five starters scored in double figures, including John Konchar, who added 17 points. Overall the Mastodons were 38 of 67 from the field (56.7 percent), including 11 of 25 from beyond the arc and 16 of 25 from the free-throw line.
Josh Robinson scored a season-high 33 points to lead Austin Peay (4-3), with John Murry adding 25. The Governors shot 54 percent from the field (34 of 63), including 13 of 31 from distance.