Morehead State men's basketball (13-12, 9-3 Ohio Valley Conference) earned its ninth win in the past 11 games, defeating in-state rival Eastern Kentucky (10-17, 3-9 OVC) 67-62 on Saturday night in front of a boisterous crowd at Alumni Coliseum.
"You've got to take care of big games," said interim head coach Preston Spradlin. "Certainly, (winning) on the road helps you."
Xavier Moon once again led the way for the Eagles, notching 16 points, nine rebounds, and five assists in a full 40 minutes of action.
"(Winning) felt great," Moon said. "My mindset going into every game is to make sure I lead the team, whether it's in scoring, rebounds, or assists. I'm just trying to mix it up on the court."
DeJuan Marrero followed closely behind with 14 points, six boards, and three steals over 27 minutes. Miguel Dicent, the only other Morehead State player not to come off the floor, logged 10 points, six assists, and four rebounds.
"Miguel is a terrific player, and a terrific playmaker," Spradlin said. "All six of his assists and all four of his rebounds were big for us. He did whatever he had to do to help us win."
With 24-of-59 (.407) shooting from the Eagles and a 25-for-58 (.431) performance by the Colonels, both teams scored the ball at a relatively similar rate. However, Morehead State grabbed 46 rebounds to EKU's 27, winning the second chance battle, 12-2.
Eastern Kentucky scored the opening basket by way of a three-ball from freshman guard Asante Gist. The Colonels held an early lead for over eight minutes, but Morehead State ended the half with a 35-27 advantage that would not be relinquished.
Asante finished the contest with a game-high 20 points, while sophomore forward Nick Mayo poured in 17 points for Eastern Kentucky.
