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NASHVILLE -- Junior Robert Covington poured in a career-high 30 points and the Tennessee State men’s basketball team knocked down 13-of-25 from the three-point line to post a 77-72 victory over Morehead State on Wednesday evening at the Gentry Center.
TSU improves to 9-9 on the year and 2-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference, while MSU slips to 8-10 overall and 2-3 in league play. The Eagles continue to hold a 30-28 advantage in the all-time series.
“Tennessee State is a very athletic team and they play well at home,” Morehead State Head Coach Donnie Tyndall said. “It’s tough when you give up 13 three-pointers and lose by five points.”
Covington, who registered 14 points in the first half and 16 more in the second, connected on 9-of-12 from the field, 7-of-9 from beyond the arc and 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. He also tallied eight rebounds to tie TSU sophomore Patrick Miller for game-high honors.
Freshman Jay Harris added 12 points for Tennessee State, while senior Wil Peters contributed 11 points and a team-high six assists. The Tigers drilled 53 percent (10-of-19) from the floor, 73 percent (8-of-11) from long distance and 78 percent (15-of-19) from the foul line in the second half.
“(Robert) Covington was very good tonight,” Tyndall said. “There were 16 lead changes in this game. It was one of those back-and-forth contests and each possession was critical.”
Morehead State senior Ty Proffitt finished with a career-high 19 points, including 14 in the second half. He made 5-of-8 from the floor, 3-of-6 from long range and 6-of-6 from the charity stripe.
“Ty played well for us tonight, especially in the second half,” Tyndall said. “It was nice to see him get points off dribble penetration and within the context of our offense.”
Junior Marsell Holden, who knocked down 4-of-11 from three-point range, wrapped up the night with 12 points. Sophomore Drew Kelly led the Eagles with six rebounds, while senior Lamont Austin posted a team-best six assists.
In addition to the 16 lead changes, the affair featured seven ties. Morehead State led by as many as five points at the 13:15 mark of the first half. Tennessee State’s largest advantage was eight points and came with just over one minute to play.
Morehead State returns to Johnson Arena on Saturday when it hosts OVC rival Eastern Kentucky in the second half of a doubleheader. Tip-off for the men’s game is set for approximately 7:30 p.m. ET. The MSU and EKU women open the twinbill at 5:15 p.m.
“We’re looking forward to Saturday’s game,” Tyndall added. “Eastern Kentucky will be another challenge because they have several veteran players on the roster. Four of our first five conference games have been on the road, so it will be good to get home and play in front of our fans.”
