Freshman Johni Broome missed a game and played sparingly in the previous contest against Tennessee Tech. But the 6-10 Florida native showed little rust Saturday as the three-time OVC Freshman of the Week produced 14 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks to pace the Morehead State men's basketball team to a 56-55 edging of Jacksonville State at Johnson Arena.
The Eagles (7-6/4-2 OVC) survived a late charge from the Gamecocks after leading by double digits (7-4/3-2 OVC) as they won over JSU at home for the first time in five tries. The victory also halted an overall seven-game unsuccessful streak against JSU.
Junior guard DeVon Cooper added 11 points, his team-high 10th double-figure output this season, while sophomore guard Ta'Lon Cooper contributed eight points. He nailed two crucial three-pointers on back-to-back possessions midway through the second half to push the home team's lead out to double-digits.
Morehead State will hit the road next week to Illinois. The first leg of the Land Of Lincoln trek comes at Eastern Illinois Thursday night.
Tip-off is at 9 p.m. ET, and the game will air on ESPNU.
