In the first overtime game at Johnson Arena in 2016-17, Morehead State men's basketball (12-12, 8-3 Ohio Valley Conference) defeated Murray State (12-13, 6-5 OVC) by a final score of 101-100.
"This win means a lot," said interim head coach Preston Spradlin. "We played really well, especially in the first half. Our bench was absolutely terrific tonight."
With the Eagles facing a 100-99 deficit, Miguel Dicent inbounded the ball with under 10 seconds remaining. The junior guard received the ball back at the top of the key, driving to the weak side of the basket and laying home the game-winning bucket in traffic.
"We had a good lead, but give Murray State credit for climbing back in the game," Spradlin said. "We fought back, and after almost committing a turnover, Miguel hits the game-winning shot. That's the beauty of this team."
"I give all of the credit on that last play to Coach Spradlin," said Dicent. "He drew up a perfect play. I saw a (post player) on me, and I knew I had to take him to the rack."
The first half ended with a comfortable 44-32 lead for the Eagles, despite just four minutes of foul-plagued action from Xavier Moon. The Goldwater, Ala. native leads the team in scoring on the season, but managed just one field goal attempt in the opening period. Moon exploded for all 18 of his points after the break, however, connecting on 3-of-4 (.750) tries from three-point range.
DeJuan Marrero led Morehead State's scoring charge, notching his 13th double-double of the season. The 6-foot-6 redshirt-senior logged 21 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, and a block on 8-of-15 (.533) shooting.
Dicent and Ronnye Beamon Jr. were the only players to compete in all 45 extended minutes. Dicent recorded 19 points and six assists, while Beamon tallied seven points, eight rebounds, and a career-high seven assists. Lamontray Harris and Treshaad Williams rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points each.
Both teams shot exceptionally well from the field, with Morehead State turning in a 36-for-70 (.514) performance. The Eagles dominated points in the paint, 46-27, and won the rebounding battle by a 42-31 margin.
MSU will take the court again on Saturday, facing Eastern Kentucky on the road at 7 p.m. ET. The Eagles defeated the Colonels 80-54 at home on Jan. 21.
