Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State pouring it on as postseason approaches
The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team remains mathematically in contention for the Atlantic Sun Conference regular-season championship but, realistically, the third-place Colonels are probably out of time with only three games left to play.
EKU would love nothing better than overcoming a two-game deficit to claim the ASUN title in only its second season in the league but more likely the Colonels are playing for seeding in the upcoming conference tournament.
The champion of the ASUN Tournament Feb. 27-March 5 secures the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, a feat the Colonels have not achieved since their days in the Ohio Valley Conference in 2014.
Uniquely, the ASUN Tournament is not played at one neutral site like many other conferences. The games play out entirely on campus sites, with the better seed playing at home every step of the way in the 10-team event.
EKU (18-10 overall, 11-4 ASUN) would own the No. 3 seed if the regular season ended now. Only a date with current No. 1 Kennesaw State (21-7, 13-2) or No. 2 Liberty (21-7, 12-3) would force the Colonels to play on the road in the league tournament, which would not happen until the semifinals at the earliest.
That makes Saturday’s Senior Day game against North Alabama in Richmond important for three reasons:
1. The Colonels have won 12 games in a row at home after Thursday night’s 74-58 romp over Central Arkansas and are 13-1 on the season in Baptist Health Arena. In other words, the more games at home the better since EKU this season is extremely tough to beat in Richmond.
2. North Alabama (17-11, 9-6) is only two games behind Eastern Kentucky in fifth place. With seeding in the balance, now is not the time to give up ground.
3. Michael Moreno, Cooper Robb and Michael Wardy will participate in Senior Day activities before Saturday’s game, and a nice sendoff for the seniors is always strong motivation.
North Alabama enters Saturday’s 7 p.m. tip-off having won four in a row and eight of its last nine. The Colonels and Lions have not yet met this season.
On Thursday night, Eastern Kentucky won for the fifth time in six games in taking down Central Arkansas. Former Madison Central High School standout Isaiah Cozart delivered one of his best performances since transferring to EKU from Western Kentucky after last season, posting 16 points, nine rebounds and two steals while blocking seven shots.
Robb finished with 14 points. The former Scott County High School star recorded his 1,000th career point on a three-pointer with just more than seven minutes left to play. Moreno, Robb’s former teammate at Scott County, put up a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. Devontae Blanton finished with 11 points, and John Ukomadu had 10.
Morehead State on brink of OVC title
The Morehead State University men’s basketball team is one win away from its first Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship in 20 years.
The first-place Eagles (18-10 overall, 11-4 OVC) take a two-game lead into the final week of the season over Tennessee-Martin (17-11, 9-6), Southeast Missouri State (14-14, 9-6) and Tennessee Tech (13-15, 9-6).
On Saturday, Morehead State hosts Lindenwood (9-19, 4-11) at 3 p.m. A victory over the last-place Lions will clinch at least a share of the OVC title, something the Eagles have not achieved since the 2002-03 season. Morehead State still has a chance to earn its first outright regular season title, which has not happened since 1983-84.
Morehead State has won eight of its last nine games and two in a row. The Eagles took down Tennessee State 74-64 on Thursday night in Morehead behind 19 points and 13 rebounds from Alex Gross and 19 points from Mark Freeman.