Sangamon Sun

Morehead State Comes Back for Win Over Cougars

Morehead State used a 16-1 run midway through the second half to erase a 10-point deficit and score a come-from-behind win over SIUE. The Eagles downed the Cougars 55-50 Saturday at Johnson Arena.

SIUE has dropped four games in a row and fell to 14-9 overall and 5-5 in Ohio Valley Conference play. Morehead State has won four straight to improve to 14-9 overall and 7-3 in OVC play.

SIUE used a 9-0 first half run for its first lead at 11-7. The Cougars pushed their lead to as many as eight at 23-15 before the Eagles scored the final five points and SIUE took a 23-20 lead into the half.

The Cougars built their lead to 41-31 with 9:55 left when the Eagles went on their run. Mark Freeman scored 11 straight points for the Eagles before a Shamar Wright free throw tied the game at 42-42. A Freeman three and a basket by Alex Gross completed the 16-1 run to give Morehead State a 48-42 lead and the Eagles never trailed again.

"We missed two or three wide open shots in that stretch," SIUE Head Coach Brian Barone said. "We let Freeman get going like we shouldn't have. We had some really poor switches. Our breakdown in communication hurt us."

Shamar Wright brought the Cougars within two at 48-46 with 2:53 to play before Morehead State turned the ball over. SIUE failed to take advantage and never got as close again.

"We need to finish better around the rim, knock down our open shots and share the ball a little better," Barone added.

Shamar Wright led SIUE with 14 points, all of which came in the second half. He was 6 for 8 from the field.

"Shamar was very efficient today," Barone said. "He was good."

Damarco Minor scored13 points and was the only other SIUE player in double figures. DeeJuan Pruitt grabbed 10 rebounds. It was his third straight double-digit rebound game and his fifth in the last six games.

The Cougars shot just 32 percent for the game and were outrebounded 45-34. SIUE forced 17 Morehead State turnovers and scored 17 points from Eagles' miscues. Morehead State shot 38 percent from the field. Both teams scored 24 points in the paint.

Freeman led all scorers with 28 points. Alex Gross scored 12 and added nine rebounds for MSU.

"You just don't panic," Barone said about the losing streak. "When you raise expectations on yourself this is just part of the process right now. We have to remember who we are and our process."

SIUE returns home to face UT Martin Thursday in a 6 p.m. game at First Community Arena.

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