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Williams Hits Game-Winner, Marrero Notches Career Performance in 87-85 Win Over TSU

MSU Athletics

Morehead State men's basketball (7-11, 3-2 Ohio Valley Conference) picked up an 87-85 win over Tennessee State (12-6, 3-2 OVC) in a down-to-the-wire thriller on Saturday night.

Tied at 85 with the game's final 10 seconds ticking away, DeJuan Marrero received the ball on the high post and began backing his man down to the basket. The Tennessee State defense collapsed, allowing Marrero to find senior forward Treshaad Williams with a window of open space underneath the basket.

Williams laid the ball in through traffic with a shade over six seconds remaining, keeping his streak of 26 made field goals at Johnson Arena intact. Tigers guard Tahjere McCall missed a potential game-winning three-point attempt at the buzzer, icing the Eagles' third win in four outings.

"Great win for our community, our university, and our program," said interim head coach Preston Spradlin. "We had a great crowd out here tonight cheering on our guys, and I'm so thankful for that. Our kids played their hearts out, they listened, they're coachable, and they're so fun to be around."

Marrero led the way for Morehead State, notching a career high 22 points on 10-for-12 (.833) shooting from the free throw line, and tying a career-best 16 rebounds.

"I want to give DeJuan so much credit," Spradlin said. "He showed up big time tonight, and won us the game with that big time assist. But, what you don't see is that discipline that he played with. That shows great growth for a fifth-year senior."

Junior guard Miguel Dicent scored a season-high 19 points, adding to his five assists on the night. Lamontray Harris, a 6-foot-7 sophomore, dropped 15 points in 20 minutes off the bench.

"Tonight was all about keeping my composure," said Marrero. "It was a very physical game, and we knew coming in that it was going to be a dogfight. But, I believe it starts with preparation, so I was mentally ready. I think our team did a great job tonight in getting a big win."

The Eagles return to action on Thursday, traveling to Clarksville, Tenn. for a matchup with Austin Peay (6-13, 2-3 OVC) at 8 p.m. ET. Morehead State defeated the Governors 75-65 at Johnson Arena last season. 

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