Published: January 15, 2008 04:00 pm         

MSU teams sweep EKU, UT-Martin

MOREHEAD, Ky. - Morehead State's women's basketball team tied a school single game record with 14 three-pointers and held visiting Eastern Kentucky 25 points below its season scoring average as MSU took command early and never let up in a 77-50 win over the Colonels Thursday at Johnson Arena. The win, MSU's second straight in the Ohio Valley Conference, moved its record to 5-10 and 3-4 in the OVC, while EKU fell to 8-5 and 3-3 in the league race.

"This was absolutely our best game all year," said MSU head coach Mike Bradbury. "We have been improving every day since the Christmas break, and our hard work paid off tonight. We held them 25 points below their average, we shot the ball well, and this was an entire team effort again tonight."

Morehead State, which ranked 11th in the OVC in field goal percentage, seemingly couldn't miss tonight. The Eagles hit 51 percent for the game - a season high - and drilled 60 percent of their attempts in the second half. The Eagles built a 42-19 halftime lead on the strength of seven treys. The Eagles hit seven more three-balls in the second half and possessed as much as a 37-point lead (72-35) with seven minutes left in the game.

But, the story of the game may have been MSU's stingy defense. The Colonels were limited to just 29 percent (19-of-64) from the field and were 4-of-22 from three-point range where the Eagles outscored EKU 42-12. MSU, which also had only out-rebounded three other opponents this season, held a decisive 45-31 edge on the glass. The two teams came into the game ranked one-two in the league in rebounds per game. EKU has been averaging more than 40 boards per game, but the Eagles limited their chances as they collected 33 defensive rebounds.

Freshman Chynna Bozeman, senior Tarah Combs and sophomore Brandi Rayburn provided the biggest spark to the Eagles' offense. Bozeman, the reigning OVC Freshman of the Week, was 4-of-6 from long range and led the team with 18 points and also had a career high nine rebounds and three stealas. Combs also hit four treys - giving her 180 for her career - and provided 14 points. Rayburn, who got her second straight starting assignment, scored 11 points and shot 5-of-8 from the field. She also collected five rebounds.

The Eagles also got a career high nine-point effort from freshman Candyce Flynn. She was 2-of-2 from long distance. Senior Anitha Smith-Williams drilled three from outside the arc and scored nine points to go along with a season high seven rebounds. She was one of three (Combs and Rayburn as well) who led the team with five assists. The Eagles dished out 21 assists.

Defensively, MSU's duo of Afton Perry and Brittany Pittman, who rank as the top two shot blockers in the league, combined for 10 rejections. Pittman, who ranks third nationally in the Division I in blocks, swatted a career high seven and now has 60 for the season. She already ranks sixth in career blocks at MSU, and the 60 total is the third best season in school history.

Two players did reach double figures for the Colonels as Crystal Jones' 13 led the way. Niki Avery hit a trio of three-pointers and contributed 11 points. EKU, which tops the league in steals, had 11 tonight.

In the early stages of the game, EKU opened up a 6-2 lead at the 17:20 mark. But, the Eagles put together an 18-0 run over the next six minutes. By the 11:35 mark on the clock, the Eagles were leading 20-6. The closest EKU could cut the lead to the rest of the night was 19 (48-29) with 16:32 left in the contest.



•Combs Outside

Accuracy Propels Women's Basketball Over UTM, 70-46

MARTIN, Tenn. - Senior Tarah Combs tied a career high with 25 points, hitting a career high seven three-pointers, and the Morehead State women's basketball team put together a third straight stellar defensive game in a 70-46 road win at UT Martin Saturday. The Eagles won their third straight game, improving to 6-10 overall and 4-4 in the OVC.

"We shot the ball well again tonight," said head coach Mike Bradbury. "This was a pretty good end to a great week. We won three games this week, and we came into the week having won just three all year."

  The Eagles held UT Martin to just 28 percent shooting overall, including just 16 percent in the first half as they built a 33-16 lead at the break. Meanwhile, MSU shot 50 percent for the game (27-of-54) - its second straight 50 percent effort. The Eagles also got double figure scoring efforts from Brittany Pittman (12) and Anitha Smith-Williams (10). MSU hit 11 three-pointers after tying a school record with 14 Thursday against Eastern Kentucky.

  UTM was led by Phyllisha Mitchell with 20 points. Mitchell was 9-of-10 from the free throw line.

Leading 10-9, the Eagles effectively put the game away in the first half with a 15-2 run. Combs three-pointer with 4:29 left in the first half gave the Eagles a 25-11 lead. MSU led by as many as 25 on several occasions in the final half as the Eagles shot 61 percent (14-of-23) in the last 20 minutes.

Morehead State returns home on Thursday, Jan. 17 to host Samford at 5:15 p.m. in Johnson Arena.



MOREHEAD, Ky. - John Lamb scored a career-high 18 points to lead a second-half Morehead State rally, and the Eagles defeated Ohio Valley Conference rival Eastern Kentucky, 62-53, in Johnson Arena on Thursday evening. The freshman from Indianola, Iowa, scored all of his points in the second half by hitting five-of-five from the field, including four three-pointers, and all four of his free throw attempts.

MSU, now 5-9 overall and 3-4 in the OVC, also got 15 points from Maze Stallworth and 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds from Kenneth Faried. Senior point guard Nikola Stojakovic haded out a game-high 11 assists and committed only one turnover in 37 minutes.

EKU is 6-9 overall and 3-4 in the league. The Colonels, who have lost four games in a row, were led by Darnell Dialls who scored 16 points and by Adam Leonard and Mike Rose who scored 15 points each.

"We got more aggressive and made our shots in the second half," said MSU Head Coach Donnie Tyndall. "But, it was our defense that gave us the chance to win.

"John Lamb had a great game. After playing only a minute in the first half, he got his chance in the second half and came out aggressive offensively, plus he worked hard guarding people. Our other freshmen, Kenneth Faried and Demonte Harper, also played very well."

The Eagles hit only 24 percent (six-of-25) from the field in the first half and trailed 21-18 at intermission. In the second half, sparked by Lamb's perfect shooting, MSU hit 63.6 percent (14-of-22) and made eight of its 10 three-point attempts.

MSU won the rebound battle, 28-to-25, and committed only 12 turnovers compared to 16 for Eastern Kentucky.

The Colonels led by as many as nine points in the first half, and by as many as eight points in the second half. Morehead State's biggest lead was the nine-point final margin.



•Buchanan

Lay-up Gives Eagle Men 81-79 Road Win at UT Martin

MARTIN, Tenn. - A lay-up by Leon Buchanan with less than two seconds remaining gave the Morehead State men an 81-79 Ohio Valley Conference win over UT Martin in a nationally televised game (ESPNU) Saturday afternoon at the Elam Center in Martin.

MSU, now 6-9 overall and 4-4 in the OVC, picked up its first road win of the season. Maze Stallworth led the Eagles with 20 points. Buchanan had 18 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. Jamyron Steward scored 16 points, and Kenneth Faried had 14 points and nine rebounds. 

UT Martin, 8-10 overall and 4-4 in the league, was led by Lester Hudson, the second leading scorer in the nation coming into the game. Hudson scored 32 points, making five-of-10 three-pointers. Marquis Weddle scored 24 points, and Gerald Robinson added 18 points.

"It was a great win on national television," said MSU Coach Donnie Tyndall. "Give UT Martin a lot of credit. We appeared to have the game in hand, and they battled back to tie it late.

 "And, you've got to give my kids credit, too. In a very tough environment, in front of a great UT Martin crowd, they fought hard and did all it took to win."

MSU led by 11-points, 75-64, with 3:37 left to play in the game when Hudson ignited a 15-to-4 Skyhawk run that tied the game, 79-79, with nine seconds remaining. Hudson opened the run by hitting three three-pointers. He then made four free throws to account for 13 consecutive UTM points.

After Robinson hit two free throws to tie the score at 79-79, MSU broke a Skyhawk full-court press and Nikola Stojakovic found Buchanan open for the winning basket.

MSU hit 50.8 percent (30-of-59) from the field to 42.3 percent (22-of-52) for the Skyhawks. The Eagles won the rebound battle, 34-to-30. UTM committed 16 turnovers, MSU had 15 turnovers.

The Eagles will now begin a two-game home stand with a Thursday (Jan. 17) evening OVC doubleheader against Samford in Johnson Arena. The women's game will tip off at 5:15 p.m. EST, the men's game at 7:30 p.m. Jacksonville State will be in town for a league doubleheader next Saturday (Jan. 19).