More than 20,000 fans in the Carrier Dome may have been a bit nervous for their No. 14 Syracuse team Saturday. Morehead State battled the Orange for the entire 40 minutes before finally falling 84-70 in the second game of the 2K Empire Classic.
"Again we didn't let the pressure beat us, and I am so proud of my guys for fighting and battling for an entire 40 minutes," said head coach Preston Spradlin. "Our guys feel like we can play with anyone in the country right now. We had a great game plan, and for the most part we executed it. For us to force them into 14 turnovers and score 70 points here, not many teams do that against Syracuse."
Junior guard Jordan Walker had just five points at the half but erupted for 19 in the final half and finished with a game-best 24. He drilled six of his 10 three-point shots in 36 minutes. His point total came within two of his career high.
Senior forward Lamontray Harris nearly had his second straight double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds. Sophomore forward Malek Green posted his third double-figure effort of the season with 12.
The Eagles fell behind 25-11 in the first 10 minutes of the opening half, but just like at UConn Thursday, the Eagles refused to be blown out. MSU outscored the Orange 19-11 in the final 10 minutes of the half and trailed just 36-30 at the break.
MSU was within three (43-40) with 16:23 left after a breakaway slam by Harris, but the hosts used a 12-0 run over the next three minutes to distance themselves. While they couldn't quite pull all the way back, MSU did have the game within eight (66-58) with six minutes remaining.
The Eagles shot 40 percent (28-of-70) against Syracuse's 2-3 zone defense and only had 12 mistakes, including just three miscues by the half. The Orange shot 41 percent, but MSU's perimeter defense forced them into just a 3-for-16 night from three-point range.
Senior guard A. J. Hicks dished out a game-best seven assists and now has 22 in the first three games.
Oshae Brissett led the Orange with a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double. Tyus Battle hit nine free throws and scored a team-best 23 points.
The Eagles will head out west for the final two games of the 2K Classic. They'll face Missouri-Kansas City on Friday at 5:35 p.m. ET at Eastern Washington. Saturday, they'll play either EWU or Green Bay in the championship or consolation of the subregional.
