Riley Minix and Drew Thelwell both recorded double-doubles to help lead the Morehead State men's basketball team past the Lindenwood Lions 67-49 at home Saturday, clinching a share of the 2023-24 Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship.
It's the Eagles' second straight regular-season title, something that hadn't occurred in nearly 70 seasons. MSU will now wait to see its OVC Tournament seeding. It could be either No. 1, 2, or 3.
The double-doubles by Minix, who had 23 points and 14 rebounds, and Thelwell, who had 14 points and 11 assists, led the Eagles (23-8, 14-4 OVC) in the contest. Kalil Thomas helped out with 11 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
Minix recorded his ninth consecutive double-double and 18th of the season to lead the league and rank in the top 10 nationally. Thelwell posted his second career double-double. His 11 assists pushed him to 196 for the season, just eight short of the single-season MSU record.
Morehead State grabbed 38 rebounds in Saturday's game compared to Lindenwood's 27, led by Minix's 14 boards. The Eagles also put in work on the offensive glass, turning 11 rebounds into 13 second chance points.
Morehead State's defense held Lindenwood to only 38 percent shooting from the field, including 21 percent from beyond the arc. The Eagles also limited Darius Beane to 3-of-12 shooting and eight points in the game. The Lions did not have much luck cleaning up their misses on the offensive glass either, as they finished with five offensive rebounds and managed two second chance points while Morehead State cleared 27 defensive rebounds.
How It Happened
After jumping out to a 26-22 advantage, Morehead State went on an 8-0 run with 4:51 left in the first half, culminating in a three from Thelwell, to increase its lead to 34-22. The Eagles then lost some of that lead, but still entered halftime with a 36-25 advantage. Morehead State relied on its three-point shooting in the period, knocking down five shots to account for 15 of its 36 points.
Following intermission, Morehead State kept widening that lead, expanding it to 60-47 before going on a 5-0 run to grow the lead to 65-47 with 43 seconds to go in the contest. The Eagles held onto that lead for the rest of the game for the 67-49 win.
Game Notes
» Morehead State got double-doubles from both Riley Minix and Drew Thelwell.
» The Eagles shot well from three point range, knocking down nine of 20 long range attempts.
» The Eagles held the Lions to only 38 percent shooting from the field.
» Morehead State never trailed in the second half on its way to victory.
» Morehead State tallied 15 total assists in the game.
» Morehead State had a 38-27 edge on the boards in the win.