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EVANSVILLE, Ind. - After recording 21 wins and advancing to the postseason for the second consecutive season, the fifth-seeded Morehead State women's basketball team (21-11, 12-6 Ohio Valley Conference) fell to fourth-seeded Jacksonville State (19-11, 12-6 OVC) by a score of 69-56 in the opening round of the OVC Tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Ford Center.

The Eagles were met with offensive struggles right out of the gate, falling behind 8-0 with 6:03 to go in the first quarter. Morehead State ended the period down 19-12, shooting just 4-of-14 (.286) from the field.

The floor opened up in the second, however, when Morehead State outscored the Gamecocks 17-16 in the quarter. The Eagles bounced back with their best shooting performance of the game, knocking down 7-of-17 (.412) attempts. Still, Jacksonville State shot over 50 percent from the field in each stanza of the first half and took a 35-29 lead into intermission.

Both teams knocked down five field goals in the third quarter, which ended in a 49-41 advantage for JSU. The Gamecocks pulled away in the fourth and concluded the contest with its largest lead of the game, as Morehead State connected on just 3-of-14 (.214) fourth-quarter attempts. Jacksonville State led the contest wire-to-wire.

Recently minted All-OVC First Team performers Miranda Crockett and Eriel McKee were the only Eagles to score in double-digits, pouring in 15 and 11 points, respectively. Crockett pulled down six rebounds and two assists, while McKee notched eight boards and three dimes. McKee also added a game-high four steals, tying a Morehead State program record with 251 on her career.

Despite losing three upperclassmen to season-ending injuries throughout its 2017-18 campaign, Morehead State won 21 games in back-to-back years for the first time since 2009-10 and 2010-11.