EKU and Morehead men head into finales coming off big wins, while WKU looks to rebound
The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team carries big-time momentum into its regular-season finale following a record-breaking victory.
Behind 22 points from freshman sensation Wendell Green, the Colonels knocked off Belmont 81-67 in McBrayer Arena in Richmond on Thursday night, setting a program record for Ohio Valley Conference victories.
EKU (20-6 overall, 14-5 OVC) has won two straight games and five of its last six and can clinch the No. 3 seed in next week’s OVC Tournament with a win over last-place Tennessee State in Richmond on Saturday.
EKU entered Thursday tied with the 2006-2007 squad (13-7) and 1964-1965 team (13-1) for most conference wins. Belmont carried a 21-game win streak into the matchup, having won all 18 of its OVC games. Belmont (24-2, 18-1 OVC) had won 30 straight against OVC opponents, one shy of tying the all-time conference record. The Bruins have clinched the league’s regular-season title.
Trailing Belmont 15-10, EKU seized control with a 23-4 run that included 11 points from Curt Lewis. The Colonels led by as many as 20 points in the first half as they shot 63 percent from the field before the break. Belmont never got closer than 12 points after halftime.
Lewis finished with 15 points on 7-for-11 shooting and added three assists and three rebounds. Tre King pitched in 14 points and nine boards.
Next game: Tennessee State at EKU, 7 p.m. Saturday (ESPN Plus).
OVC Tournament: March 3-6, Ford Center in Evansville, Ind.
Morehead on the march
Morehead State locked up a second-place OVC finish and No. 2 seed in the conference tournament with a 74-60 home win over Tennessee State on Thursday night.
James Baker led the way with 15 points on 5-for-7 shooting and added six rebounds and four blocks. DeVon Cooper scored 14 points and hit both of his shots from the perimeter. Ta’lon Cooper had 12 points and went 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, while freshman Johni Broome contributed nine points and 13 rebounds. The Eagles combined to hit seven of 12 three-point shots.
It was the third straight victory for the Eagles following a 15-point loss at Belmont on Feb. 13. Now, they get a shot at revenge.
Morehead (19-7, 16-3 OVC) hosts Belmont in Saturday’s regular-season finale. In the first matchup in Nashville, the Eagles shot just 33 percent from the field and were gashed by the Bruins’ 16-3 run to end the first half. Morehead got within single digits in the second half but an 8-0 Belmont run slammed the door.
Next game: Belmont at Morehead State, 4 p.m. Saturday (ESPN Plus).
Racers look to finish strong
Murray State’s second-half rally fell short on Thursday as the Racers suffered an 87-74 defeat at Jacksonville State. It’s the second loss in three games for the Racers, who close the regular season Saturday at Tennessee Tech.
Murray State (13-11, 10-9 OVC) would lock up the No. 5 seed in the OVC Tournament with another win over Tennessee Tech. The Racers won the first meeting 72-63 on Jan. 23 in Murray. If they lose on Saturday, the Racers could fall to the No. 6 seed, which would likely pit them against EKU in the first round. Murray scored a 76-64 road win over EKU this month.
Next game: Murray State at Tennessee Tech, 9 p.m. Saturday (ESPN Plus).
Hilltoppers head home
Western Kentucky proved no match for No. 12 Houston on Thursday night, falling to the Cougars on the road, 81-57. The Hilltoppers trailed by just one at halftime but were outscored 42-19 the rest of the way. WKU committed 20 turnovers which led to 27 Houston points. The Cougars shot 46 percent and made 13 of 31 three-pointers.
WKU claimed the lead early in the second half on two free throws by Taveion Hollingsworth, but Houston responded with an 18-2 run to seize control.
“We were just careless with the ball and couldn’t execute,” Hollingsworth said. “We’ve just got to work in the gym, get back in the gym and practice. We’ve got to learn from our mistakes.”
WKU (15-5, 8-2 Conference USA) owns a two-game lead over second-place Old Dominion in the C-USA East Division with four games to go. All four of those contests will be played in E.A. Diddle Arena in Bowling Green, beginning with a Sunday-Monday doubleheader against Florida International.
Next game: Florida International at Western Kentucky, 3 p.m. Sunday (ESPN Plus).
C-USA Tournament: March 10-13, Ford Center in Frisco, Texas.
Cards and Devils on deck
Louisville begins a two-game road swing Saturday at Duke. It’s the home finale for the Blue Devils, who are in the midst of a season-best four-game win streak that includes a 66-65 upset of then-No. 7 Virginia. The Cardinals are coming off a 69-57 home victory over Notre Dame.
The Cardinals knocked off Duke in Louisville 70-65 on Jan. 23 behind a 24-point, five-assist performance from Carlik Jones. Jae’Lyn Withers had 13 points and seven rebounds in the win. David Johnson had 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
Louisville (12-5, 7-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) is fourth in the ACC standings by virtue of its league winning percentage despite having multiple games canceled or postponed because of COVID-19 protocols. Duke (11-8, 9-6 ACC) is seventh.
Duke forward Matthew Hurt is second in the ACC in scoring (18.3) and third in field goal percentage (55.6). Senior guard Jared Goldwire has a league-best assists-to-turnovers ratio (2.77) and ranks second in steals (2.5).
Louisville leads the ACC in three-point defense, holding opponents to 31 percent shooting beyond the arc. The Cardinals rank fourth in scoring defense, allowing just 65.8 points per game. Duke ranks third in scoring offense (75.9).
Next game: Louisville at Duke, 6 p.m. Saturday (ESPN).
ACC Tournament: March 9-13, Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, N.C.
