BOX SCORE

MOREHEAD, Ky. – Morehead State men's basketball used the power of the paint and efficient ball movement Tuesday night to score a 86-47 exhibition victory over visiting Kentucky Christian at Johnson Arena.
 
Behind 20 points from freshman big man Tyzhaun Claude, the Eagles imposed their will down low and outscored the Knights 36-16 in the paint en route to the win over the regional opponent.
 
The Eagles now focus on the regular season opener a week from tonight (Nov. 5) against Samford at 7 p.m. ET.
 
KEY STATS
 
-Claude finished the night 9-of-11 from the field to lead the team in scoring and also grabbed six rebounds.
-Besides Claude, four others dotted double figures in scoring. Freshman Julius Dixon had 11, while junior James Baker, freshman Ta'lon Cooper and sophomore LJ Bryan all had 10 markers.
-Morehead State shot 49 percent from the field, hitting 29-of-59.
-The Eagles held KCU to just 5-of-29 from three-point range.
-MSU handed out 22 assists on 29 made baskets. Cooper led the way with six helpers along with junior transfer Justin Thomas.
-The Eagles won the rebound battle, 50-34, including 15 offensive boards.
-Morehead State shot 9-of-21 (43 percent) from three-point range.
-Bench points saw the Eagles outscore KCU 48-17.
-No KCU players reached double figures, but Owens Crawford led the Knights with nine points.
 
KEY MOMENTS
 
- Bryan got the scoring started with a turnaround jumper in the paint at the 17:57 mark of the first half.
-The Eagles held KCU without a field goal until the 16:27 mark of the half.
-MSU pulled away early with an 11-2 run to lead 18-6 with less than 10 minutes remaining in the first half.
-A 6-0 run after KCU pulled to within 27-12 put the Eagles up by 18 following Dixon's one-handed breakaway slam.
-MSU finished the opening half enjoying a 39-22 advantage on the strength of 10 points from Claude and nine from Bryan.
-KCU scored the opening points of the final half, but a monumental 20-1 run catapulted the home squad out to a 59-25 lead after Claude's rebound and put-back dunk with 14:10 left in the game.
-Claude went on to score six more consecutive points, including two more dunks, to propel his team to a 65-28 cushion at the 11:53 mark.
 
 
QUOTING COACH SPRADLIN
 
"I thought we really played to our standards tonight. When you talk about 22 assists and 43 percent from three-point range, along with 15 offensive rebounds, I was really pleased with our effort tonight."
 
"Sharing the ball is going to be a trademark of this team. It starts with our veteran guys like "Juice" (Thomas) and Jordan (Walker)."
 
"Those three freshman (Claude, Dixon and Cooper) didn't play with many jitters tonight. This was a great opportunity for them, and they really stood out."
 
"Inside play is a big improvement from past years. Those two guys (Claude and Bryan), along with James Baker, know who they are, and they played with a lot of energy tonight."