The Morehead State men's basketball team jumped out to a 16-point advantage by making its first 12 field-goal attempts and never looked back in a 91-63 Ohio Valley Conference win over SIU Edwardsville on Thursday night (Jan. 15) at Johnson Arena.
The Eagles improve to 7-12 overall, 2-2 in league action and 3-4 at home. The Cougars, who had previously won six of their last seven, slip to 7-9 overall, 3-2 in OVC play and 0-7 on the road. MSU also moves to 6-1 in the series with its fourth straight win over SIUE.
"I'm proud of our young men," Head Coach Sean Woods said. "Tonight was what Morehead State basketball is supposed to look like. Our defense was relentless and our offense was efficient. We played solid on both ends and had confidence from start to finish."
The 28-point victory was Morehead State's largest in 36 OVC contests under Woods.
Morehead State, which never trailed, didn't miss from the field until the 10:02 mark of the first half. The Eagles pushed their lead to a game-high 30 points in the final minute. MSU drilled 54 percent (34-of-63) overall, including 65 percent (20-of-31) before intermission.
"We had big-time performances up and down the roster," Woods said. "We had good energy and chemistry on both ends of the floor. We are finally playing just two games per week, which gives us more practice time. That's why we are starting to shoot better."
Senior Karam Mashour led Morehead State with game highs of 22 points and 11 rebounds. It was his second career double-double, both of which have come this month. The point total was also a career best. He made 8-of-10 from the floor and 5-of-5 from the foul line.
Senior Angelo Warner added 18 points and five assists for the Eagles, while freshman Miguel Dicent chipped in with 13 points. MSU senior Kareem Storey was credited with game highs of seven assists and four steals, while junior Anthony Elechi yanked down seven rebounds.
SIU Edwardsville managed a 29-13 scoring edge from the charity stripe, but Morehead State posted a 78-34 advantage from the floor. The Cougars were limited to just 28 percent (15-of-53) from the field and 31 percent (4-of-13) from three-point range.
Morehead State collected 22 assists, which marked its most against a Division I opponent this season. The Eagles tied a season high with 10 three-pointers. MSU also registered a 46-16 upper hand in paint points and 14-2 margin in fast-break points.
"The ball was going in the basket, and it made our guys excited to get the ball back," Woods said. "We were getting steals, blocking shots and walling up. We played quality defense in both halves and limited SIU Edwardsville to one shot for most of the night."
Freshman Jalen Henry paced two Cougars in double figures with 12 points on 6-of-8 from the free-throw line. No SIUE player collected more than six rebounds, two assists or two steals.
Morehead State wraps up its two-game homestand on Saturday against OVC foe Eastern Illinois. The Panthers improved to 5-0 in league play on Thursday night with a win at Eastern Kentucky.
Saturday's contest, slated for 2 p.m., will open a doubleheader. The MSU and EIU women will follow. Both tilts will be available on the Ohio Valley Conference Digital Network (video streaming) and Eagle Sports Network (radio).
