CLINTON, S.C. – Morehead State men's basketball started with an 8-0 scoring flurry at Presbyterian Thursday night and never looked back in disposing of the Blue Hose 77-55 on its home floor.
MSU improved to 3-0, starting a season with three straight wins for the first time since 1992-93.
Junior guard
Justin Thomas led the charge with 11 points, seven rebounds, five assists and four steals while hitting 5-of-9 from the field.
Sophomore forward
LJ Bryan scored a career-best and team-high 13 points and also collected a team-best eight rebounds as the Eagles held a decisive 41-25 edge on the boards.
Morehead State led 36-19 at the half and shot 52 percent for the game, its second straight 50+ percent field goal accuracy in a game.
The Eagles return home Saturday to host Maryland Eastern Shore as part of the Hall of Fame Classic presented by ShotTracker. Game time is 6 p.m. ET.
KEY MOMENTS
- Baskets from Thomas, junior forward
James Baker and senior guard
Djimon Henson in the first 1:50 had the Eagles on top 8-0.
- Sophomore guard
Malik Riddle drained a three-pointer at the 13:02 mark of the first to push his team's lead to 18-2.
- In the final four minutes of the opening half, MSU limited PC to only two field goals.
- Freshman forward
Julius Dixon's three-pointer, after an offensive rebound by Bryan, catapulted the Eagles to their largest lead of the night (62-35).
- Sophomore forward
Jaden Stanley-Williams scored MSU's final four points in the last 1:05 of the contest.
KEY STATS
- MSU was 30-of-58 (52 percent) from the field.
- The Eagle defense forced Presbyterian into just 6-of-25 from three-point range.
- Morehead State scored 42 points in the paint.
- MSU piled up nine steals
- Baker registered 12 points, and senior guard
Jordan Walker had 10 points. For Walker, it marked his 57
th career double figure effort.
QUOTING COACH SPRADLIN
"Our guys did a tremendous job of executing our game plan. We rebounded the ball significantly. We played to our identity, and when we do that it's easy to win no matter where we are playing."
"We started the game with three straight stops, they scored a basket, but we came back and got three more straight stops. We did that four times just in the first half. Give Presbyterian credit, they almost won the second half, but our guys did a nice job of playing to the situation and not to the score."
"Our forwards went to work. They did a really good job. I think we were led by our guard play though. "Juice" Thomas was fantastic."
