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MOREHEAD, Ky— Morehead State made a strong defensive statement Thursday night, shutting down the Ohio Valley Conference’s top offense to earn a 70-49 win over UT Martin in Johnson Arena. The game was the OVC opener for both teams.
Martin came into the game averaging 75 points per game, but MSU kept them 26 points below that average. The Eagles have not allowed an opponent to score more than 64 points this season. MSU also dominated the glass, outrebounding UTM 43-25.
"I do think we defended pretty well, particularly in the first half, and we outrebounded a conference opponent by 18," Tyndall said. "I thought we did a good job in our zone of being aggressive."
Kenneth Faried had his second 20-rebound game in a row, finishing with a 15-point, 20-rebound double-double. Sam Goodman added a career-high 13 points and Terrance Hill scored 11 points.
The Eagle defense clamped down in the final 5:21 of the first half, allowing just one bucket by UT Martin. MSU took advantage and scored 11 points to take a 31-19 halftime lead.
The Skyhawk drought extended into the second half, and it took a layup by Benzor Simmons almost five minutes into the final period to break the deficiency. MSU had a 14-point lead at that point and eventually got that advantage up to 25 on a pair of free throws by Arthur McMillan late in the game. McMillan scored a career-high nine points.
"Arthur was good, that was a bright spot for our team. He's been practicing more consistently and giving good effort in practice," Tyndall said. "He took advantage of his minutes tonight and had three offensive rebounds in 11 minutes. That's impressive and I thought he played well."
Goodman had four steals and Demonte Harper added a team-high four assists.
Reuben Clayton was the only Skyhawk player in double digits, scoring 11 points.
The Eagles stay home for their second OVC game of the year, a much-anticipated matchup with preseason favorite Murray State. Tip-off for the rematch of the 2010 OVC Championship game will be at 8:00 p.m.
