FRIDAY'S SCORES
Austin Peay 88, Campbell 75 (St. Petersburg, Fla.)
@Morehead State 74, IUPUI 70
@Iowa State 101,
Eastern Illinois 53
Abilene Christian 70,
@Southeast Missouri 68
AUSTIN PEAY 88, CAMPBELL 75
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - If you still want to doubt Austin Peay State University men's basketball team after it earned its vengeance with an 88-75 win against Campbell, running its winning streak to five games, ask yourself this:
Because after a convincing 13-point win against the Fighting Camels, it's becoming clear that this team—winners of five straight, four by double figures—has a chance to do some pretty special things when league play opens up to start the 2019 calendar.
Austin Peay (7-4) trailed for all of one possession, less than two minutes into the contest. As the Govs were hitting 11 of their first 15 shots—especially seniors Zach Glotta and Chris Porter-Bunton, who combined for 15 of Austin Peay's first 17 points—Campbell (5-6) was unable to get off on solid footing. The Govs paid particular attention to Chris Clemons, the nation's leading scorer and a player who had poured in 34 points the last time the two teams met. He missed his first four attempts from the floor and although he scored 12 points in the first half, he shot just 5-of-14 from the floor in the process.
Meanwhile, the Govs were controlling the glass (Campbell earned just two offensive rebounds in the first half), harassing the Fighting Camels into miscues (nine first-half turnovers) and generally looking like the dominant team at all times. The result saw the Govs take a 38-23 lead into halftime at the McArthur Center.
The Fighting Camels scored seven unanswered points to open the second half and looked poised to give the Govs a fight over the final 20 minutes. However, Austin Peay answered that rally with an 18-7 run of their own to take the game firmly in hand.
The Governor advantage would reach 20 points with less than seven minutes to go, but a 14-4 Campbell run had the Fighting Camels within 10 with three minutes to go. However, senior Zach Glotta's dagger three-pointer—the last of his treys on the day—put the Govs back ahead by 13 and Campbell never truly rallied from there.
MOREHEAD STATE 74, IUPUI 70
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomore forward Malek Green recorded his first double-double of the season, and senior forward Lamontray Harris poured in a season-best 20 points as the Morehead State men's basketball team withstood a furious battle with IUPUI Friday night to defeat the Jaguars 74-70 at Johnson Arena.
The Eagles moved to 4-8 on the year and won for the first time in the series history with IUPUI. The 'Jags dropped their second straight to fall to 8-5.
Green hit six of his seven field goals and scored 13 to go along with a game-best 11 rebounds. He also drove to the bucket from the far right side with 39 seconds left and laid one in as the shot clock expired to give the Eagles their 72nd and eventual game-deciding points.
Harris was 8-of-14 from the floor and nearly had his OVC-leading sixth double-double with nine rebounds. The Eagles won the battle on the boards, 45-40.
Junior guard Jordan Walker tallied his ninth double-figure effort with 16 points, including a pair of free throws with six ticks left to seal the deal. Senior guard A.J. Hicks stuffed the state sheet as well with nine points to go along with season-highs in assists (9) and rebounds (8).
In the opening half, MSU nailed two quick triples for a 6-0 lead. IUPUI started 2-for-10 from the field, and MSU started 5-for-10.
Harris had 11 points in the first nine minutes. IUPUI cut it to 21-13 at 10:18, but a 7-0 Eagle run in the next 1:29 pushed it back to 28-13.
However, IUPUI outscored the Eagles 24-8 in the final 8:22 to take a 37-36 lead at halftime and scored first four of the final half.
In the final half, the visitors led 44-38 with 16:18 left, but the Eagles turned the tide with an 8-3 flurry to take the lead back at 47-46. From that point on, no team led by more than five until MSU pushed ahead 74-68 with seven seconds remaining.
Hindman, Ky., native Camron Justice led the Jaguars with 20 points.
IOWA STATE 101, EASTERN ILLINOIS 53
AMES, Iowa - Iowa State showed why the Cyclones are ranked just outside the current Top 25 rankings as they shot 56 percent in the opening half and 57 percent for the game beating Eastern Illinois, 101-53, on Friday evening at Hilton Coliseum.
ISU improved to 10-2 on the season. EIU fell to 6-6 and will wrap up the non-conference schedule on Dec. 30 hosting North Alabama in Lantz Arena.
The Cyclones converted a couple of EIU early turnovers into baskets as they led 49-29 at the half. Mariel Shayok had seven early points to pace Iowa State as he scored 11 in the first half and 23 for the game.
Shareef Smith scored 11 first half points to lead the Panthers offense. Smith finished with 15.
Iowa State was efficient in the first half as they had 15 assists on 19 made baskets. The Cyclones committed only two turnovers in the first half with both of those coming on offensive charge calls. EIU had only six turnovers in the first half, but ISU converted all six into baskets. ISU would end the game with 22 points off turnovers.
The Cyclones continued the hot shooting in the second half as they opened with a 16-4 run extending the lead to 65-33 on a 3-pointer by Shayok. ISU was 11-of-27 from 3-point range on the night. EIU would have a number of its 3-point shots contested during the game as the Panthers finished 5-of-23 from 3-point range. Lucas Jones knocked down a pair of 3-pointers in the final minute to finish with eight points.
Michael Jacobson finished with 15 points. Lindell Wigginton had 15. The Cyclones had a 47-22 rebounding advantage.
ABILENE CHRISTIAN 70, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 68
CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Southeast Missouri (5-8) came up on the short end of a 70-68 loss to Southland Conference member Abilene Christian (10-2) in a game that featured 10 ties and 21 lead changes Friday.
SEMO dropped its fourth-straight contest and wrapped up its non-conference schedule with a 1-5 record in December.
Neither team led by more than four points until Jaylen Franklin made a pair of free throws to give ACU a 49-44 advantage with 11:37 remaining in the game.
A steal by Sage Tolbert led to Oscar Kao draining a 3-pointer to regain a 52-51 lead for SEMO with under seven minutes to go. Kao made two free throws to and Ledarrius Brewer threw down a two-handed jam to give the Redhawks a one-point cushion twice more. SEMO then went over five minutes without a field goal and would not lead again.
A Payten Ricks 3-pointer pushed the Wildcats lead to six at the 3:16 mark and Franklin's free throw widened ACU's margin to 67-60 with 1:19 on the clock. Franklin's free throw was one of six made by the Wildcats in the final 1:19. Jonathan Dalton got the Redhawks within two when he made a 3-pointer with .04 seconds left before time ran out.
Shots were falling in a strong first half for both teams. SEMO made eight of its first 12 field goals for a red-hot 66.7 percent, while ACU scored on six of its first seven shots.
The Redhawks scored their first nine points of the game from 3-point range and Brewer knocked down each of his first three 3-point attempts to lead the way. Brewer's second trifecta put SEMO ahead, 18-14, with 9:02 remaining.
Mark Laros' layup sent the Redhawks into halftime ahead, 31-30, SEMO's sixth lead at the intermission this season. SEMO shot 54.5 percent (12-of-22) and buried five 3-pointers in the opening stanza.
Jaren Lewis scored 19 points to lead four ACU starters in double figures. Jalone Friday followed with 17 points, while Ricks added 15 and Franklin chipped in 12.
The Wildcats scored 15 of their 20 points at the free throw line in the second half.
Brewer led all SEMO scorers with 15 points on 6-of-11 field goals and 3-of-6 threes. Skyler Hogan scored 14 and Dalton followed with 13 points and seven assists. Kao contributed eight points, as well.
The Redhawks, who rank 22nd in the nation defending the three, held ACU to 26.7 percent (4-of-15) from beyond the arc. The Wildcats lead the Southland Conference and rank ninth nationally in 3-point field goal percentage.
SEMO also committed a season-high 23 turnovers.