Morehead State women's basketball (14-3, 4-0 Ohio Valley Conference) extended its winning streak to nine games by holding on for a 69-66 victory over SIU Edwardsville (5-11, 1-2 OVC) Saturday afternoon at Johnson Arena.
"You need to win your home games," said head coach Greg Todd. "We were fortunate today. It was a great game."
Morehead State led by as many as 14 early in the third quarter, but an ensuing 21-10 run by the Cougars paved the way for a highly competitive final period.
SIU Edwardsville tied the contest and ultimately took a one-point lead via two made free throws from Elina Berzina with 6:17 remaining. Morehead State would regain the advantage on a three-point jumper by Eriel McKee 26 seconds later, however, giving the Eagles a two-point lead that would never be relinquished.
Two made free throws from Darianne Seward after a technical foul on SIUE head coach Paula Buscher during a timeout with 19 seconds left iced Morehead State's fourth conference win.
"Our girls stepped up in the fourth quarter," Todd said. "It was a good, hard-fought OVC victory."
The Eagles were anchored by a pair of outstanding defensive performances down low. Senior Shay Steele finished with seven points and a season-high 12 rebounds, while junior Brooke Todd recorded four points and five boards in 26 minutes. The duo of 6-foot-2 forwards blocked four shots apiece, equaling the Cougars' total blocked shots as a team. Todd's season tally now stands at 54, good for the No. 8 all-time single-season mark in school history just 17 games into 2016-17.
Junior Eriel McKee led Morehead State in scoring with 13, connecting on three long-range field goals. The 5-foot-10 former Anderson County (Ky.) standout also pulled in 10 rebounds, solidifying her fourth double-double of the season. Senior reserve KayK Tate scored 12 points on 4-for-7 (.571) shooting from three-point range in only 13 minutes.
"We've got to continue to get better," said Coach Todd. "It's been a very good (win) streak for us. We're just playing them one game at a time."
Next, the Eagles will embark on a road trip to Nashville, Tenn. for a contest with Tennessee State on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET. It will be the first of two scheduled meetings with the Tigers this season.
