WEDNESDAY'S SCORES
@Morehead State 77, Transylvania 55
@Evansville 68,
Eastern Illinois 65
@Valparaiso 80,
SIUE 58
@Lipscomb 80,
Southeast Missouri 74 (OT)
MOREHEAD STATE 77, TRANSYLVANIA 55
MOREHEAD, Ky. - Sophomore forward Julius Dixon registered a career-best 16 points, and the Morehead State men's basketball team drained a season-high 12 three-pointers en route to a 77-55 victory over in-state foe Transylvania Wednesday night at Johnson Arena.
The Eagles, now 2-4, also held a one-sided edge on rebounds, 48-27. The Pioneers, Division III members from Lexington, played the Eagles for the first time since 1956. It was Transylvania's first game in 2020-21.
Zach Larimore knocked down two free throws for the Pioneers at 13:21 of the first half, but a basket by junior forward LJ Bryan ignited a 9-0 run (that Bryan capped with another lay-in at 10:34) and the Eagles never trailed again.
DeVon Cooper notched 10 points, his fifth straight double-figure effort.
Skyelar Potter grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds, a career-high, and his first double-figure board performance.
EVANSVILLE 68, EASTERN ILLINOIS 65
EVANSVILLE, Ind. - Evansville hit several clutch shots on Wednesday night including four as time expired on the shot clock that proved valuable in a 68-65 win over Eastern Illinois at the Ford Center.
EIU fell to 2-4 on the year while Evansville improved to 1-3 snapping a 22-game losing streak.
Evansville took advantage of some timely shooting in the first half as the Purple Aces sank two 3-pointers as the shot clock expired including one by Evan Kulhman that capped a 9-0 run.
Evansville extended its lead to 21-8 before Josiah Wallace snapped the run. Kuhlman led Evansville with 12 points in the first half, finishing the game with 15. Evansville led 34-19 at the half.
EIU shot just 33 percent in the first half with Marvin Johnson leading the offense with five first half points. Mack Smith sank a 3-pointer four minutes into the contest to extend his consecutive games streak with a made 3-pointer to 87 straight. He can tie the NCAA Division I record on Saturday afternoon when the Panthers host Western Illinois at 4 p.m. on ESPN+.
The Panthers warmed up in the second half knocking down their first six shots from the floor as an 8-0 run closed the gap to 39-34 with 15:54 to play. Johnson hit a jumper to cap the run as he was one of two EIU players to finish with 17 points. Wallace was the other as he hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start the EIU run.
For every EIU run, Evansville was able to provide an answer with Jax Levitch hitting one shot as the shot clock expired and Noah Frederking sinking another. Levitch (11 pts) and Frederking (11 pts) were two of five Purple Aces in double figures led by Jawaun Newton’s 19 points, including a 11-of-12 effort at the foul line.
Smith drained a 3-pointer with 11:26 to play to make it 46-42 and Kashawn Charles 3-pointer with 7:25 tied the contest at 50-50. A Levitch 3-pointer put Evansville back in front as the Panthers could never take a second half lead. Johnson’s bucket with 1:10 to play brought EIU to within 62-60 and EIU had a potential game tying shot fall short as time expired.
Smith added 12 points for the Panthers on 4-of-5 shooting from 3-point range.
VALPARAISO 80, SIUE 58
VALPARAISO, Ind. - SIUE turned the ball over 25 times Wednesday, fell behind early and couldn't catch up as Valparaiso ran away with an 80-58 victory over the Cougars at the Athletics Recreation Center.
The loss is the second straight for SIUE, which fell to 2-4. Valpo improved to 2-4.
For the second consecutive game, the Cougars started woefully slow, turning the ball over on each of their first three possessions and missing their first nine shots from the field. Valpo, also struggled to a slow start. Sidney Wilson picked up SIUE's first bucket with 13:20 to play in the first half to make the score 4-2.
The Crusaders led 11-8 before going on a 12-0 run to build a 23-8 advantage. An SIUE 9-0 run closed the gap to 27-22, but a 6-0 run to end the half capped by a running layup from Goodnews Kpegeol gave Valpo an 11-point (33-22) at halftime.
SIUE was able to trim the lead to nine a couple of times early in the second half, but each time Valpo stretched it out. The Crusaders had as big as a 28-point lead with just over four minutes left.
SIUE shot 44 percent (25-57) from the field for the game, after shooting just 32 percent (10-31) in the first half. The Cougars, who averaged 8.0 three-pointers per game coming in, managed just two in 17 tries.
The 25 turnovers tied a season-worst. The Cougars also turned the ball over 25 times at Saint Louis.
SIUE finished with just 11 assists.
Sidney Wilson scored 15 points to lead SIUE. Mike Adewunmi added 11 points. Wilson has scored in double figures in four of the Cougars' six games this year. Adewunmi has scored in double figures in five straight games. Lamar Wright scored eight points whole Shamar Wright and Carlos Curtis chipped in seven point apiece.
Sheldon Edwards led Valparaiso with 20 points.
LIPSCOMB 80, SOUTHEAST MISSOURI 74 (OT)
NASHVILLE - Jake Wolfe scored 26 points and made a 3-pointer at the buzzer to send the game to overtime and lead Lipscomb (2-4) to a 80-74 win Wednesday night at Allen Arena.
LU was down four with 50 seconds left in regulation and pulled to within one (61-60) on a Wolfe layup. Jordan Love was later fouled and went to the free throw line to shoot two free throws. Love made the first and missed his second shot, and the Redhawks led, 63-60.
Wolfe then splashed in an off-balance three to send the game to overtime. LU went a perfect 8-of-8 at the free throw line to pull away and avenge an earlier loss to SEMO two short days ago.
The Redhawks trailed by 15 points (40-25) 3:39 into the second half and used a 20-2 run to erase their deficit. Nygal Russell scored five points in a quick 42 seconds and made a free throw to tie the game at 44-44 with 8:51 on the clock.
Nolan Taylor's layup later gave SEMO its first lead since the first half at 47-46. Four free throws by DQ Nicholas helped widen the Redhawks lead to 55-46 with a little over six minutes left and SEMO led the rest of the way until Wolfe's game-tying trey.
SEMO struggled to get shots to fall in the first half and trailed, 18-17, when LU went on a 14-2 run to open a 13-point lead (32-19) with 2:31 remaining. The Bisons heated up to drain a 3-pointer on three-straight possessions at the end of that surge.
A 3-pointer by Chris Harris was the final basket of opening stanza as the Redhawks fell behind, 32-22, at halftime. Harris made all three of SEMO's 3-pointers in the first half. SEMO also shot 32 percent on 7-of-22 from the field and turned the ball over eight times in the first 20 minutes of the contest.
SEMO committed 21 turnovers and missed 10 free throws (18-of-28), while finishing with a 45.5 percent clip from the field. The Redhawks outrebounded the Bisons, 41-25, and had 15 offensive boards.
Harris paved the way with a career-high 21 points on 7-of-17 field goals. Four of Harris' makes were beyond the arc. Nicholas followed with 17 points, the 11th double-digit game of his career.
LU shot 79.2 percent (19-of-24) at the free throw line and 47.3 percent (26-of-55) from the field. Greg Jones (17), Romeao Ferguson (12) and Carson Cary (11) joines Wolfe with double figures in the scoring column.
SEMO, which split its home-and-home series with LU, played an overtime game for the second time this season.