Freshman Miguel Dicent drained a runner with 4.9 seconds remaining, and the Morehead State men's basketball team forced a turnover on the game's final possession to score a 73-71 Ohio Valley Conference victory over Belmont on Saturday night at Johnson Arena.
The Eagles, who have won five of their last six contests, improve to 12-14 overall and 5-6 at home. The Bruins, who have dropped back-to-back games after winning five in a row, slip to 15-9 overall and 6-7 on the road. The teams are now tied atop the OVC's East Division at 7-4.
"First off, I tip my cap to (Head) Coach (Rick) Byrd and Belmont," Head Coach Sean Woods said. "They are a very good basketball program. They play hard, don't make many mistakes and hit big shots. That being said, I'm really proud of our guys for coming up with a quality win."
MSU held a 71-64 lead with 2:08 to play, but BU put together a 7-0 run to even things with 11 ticks remaining. Junior Craig Bradshaw, who scored 13 of his 15 points after intermission, evened the affair for the Bruins, but Dicent drilled the game-winner with the left-hand toss off the glass.
"Miguel may be a freshman, but he's not afraid," Woods said. "Our players and coaches know what Miguel can do, and our fans are getting to know him. We knew Belmont wanted to take away our upperclassmen down the stretch, so we put the ball in Miguel's hands and he delivered."
Belmont's largest lead of five points came with 17:47 to play in the opening half. Morehead State's biggest cushion of 11 points came with 6:43 remaining. The Bruins knocked down 6-of-8 at one stretch in the second period, while the Eagles drilled 10-of-12 during the same time frame.
Senior Karam Mashour tallied a game-high 22 points for the Eagles on 10-of-11 from the free-throw line. It was his 12th game in double figures this season and fourth performance of 20-or-more points. He is now averaging team highs of 13.9 points and 7.8 rebounds in league play.
Senior Angelo Warner added 14 points for Morehead State, while classmate Kareem Storey contributed 13. Mashour and sophomore Corban Collins pulled down team highs of six rebounds, while Warner snagged five. Four Eagles handed out four assists en route to a team total of 17.
Morehead State connected on 54 percent (27-of-50) from the field, including 65 percent (17-of-26) in the second half. Belmont drilled 53 percent (25-of-47) from the floor, including 55 percent (12-of-22) in the first half. The Bruins were limited to just five three-pointers on the night.
Belmont sophomore Evan Bradds collected a team-best 17 points on 7-of-9 from the floor.
The heavyweight showdown featured nine ties and 11 lead changes. The win was Morehead State's first in six tries all-time against Belmont. The Bruins won all three meetings during the 2013-14 campaign.
"I'm happy for our players, coaches, support staff and fans," Woods said. "It's been an up-and-down season, but I feel like we're playing pretty well right now. We will enjoy this victory tonight, and then we have to get ready for round two against Eastern Kentucky."
MSU returns to action on Wednesday when it visits rival Eastern Kentucky at 9 p.m. ET. The contest will be televised live by ESPNU and streamed on ESPN3.com. It will also be available on the Eagle Sports Radio Network, with Chuck Mraz and Jason Blanton calling the action.
