The Morehead State men's basketball team outscored visiting UT Martin 44-22 in the second half Saturday and pulled away for a 76-44 victory at Johnson Arena, marking MSU's seventh consecutive Ohio Valley Conference triumph.
The Eagles (11-6/8-2 OVC) equaled their longest conference winning streak since 2010-11 (the year they won the OVC Tournament) while continuing their hottest league start since being 9-1 in 2009-10. UTM dropped its 10th straight game to fall to 3-10 and 1-8 in the conference. MSU has now won 12 straight home games against UTM in the series with the Skyhawks' last win in Morehead coming on Dec. 12, 2005.
Junior guard DeVon Cooper and freshman forward Johni Broome each scored 13 points to pace MSU's offensive effort, which shot 61 percent (16-of-26) just in the second half. Cooper reached double-digits for the seventh straight game and 14th overall to lead the team. Broome nearly had his fifth double-double and second straight with a team-high eight rebounds.
The 44 points allowed were a season-best for the OVC's top scoring defensive team, while the Eagles also lead the OVC in rebounding margin and led today on the boards, 45-28. A 7-for-13 effort from behind the three-point arc also helped MSU distance itself today after missing all nine triple attempts in the first 20 minutes.
The Eagles are scheduled to make the trip south this week to face Jacksonville State on Thursday night. The game is set for 8:30 p.m. ET. MSU topped JSU 56-55 at home on Jan. 9.
