BOX SCORE
NORMAL, Ill. -- Despite out-rebounding host Illinois State, the Morehead State men's basketball team had a tough night on offense and fell 61-50 to the Redbirds Saturday night.
MSU slipped to 5-5 overall with a nine-day non-competition break ahead for semester final exams. The Eagles will host Marshall on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. ET.
The Eagles had another solid night defensively, holding ISU to just 35 percent shooting. But MSU managed just 34 percent itself while grabbing 44 rebounds to the Redbirds' 40.
KEY MOMENTS
- Morehead State did not hold a lead over ISU.
- The Eagles trimmed ISU's first-half lead to three on four occasions before trailing 29-24 at the half.
- After freshman
Tyzhaun Claude's layup with 17 minutes left set the Eagle deficit at just three again (31-28), the hosts used an 8-0 run to push their lead to 38-28.
- Morehead State cut the Redbird cushion to eight (38-30) 13:51 remaining, but that was the last time ISU led by less than 10.
- Junior guard De'von Cooper drained two three pointers in the final minute.
KEY STATS
- Junior guard
Justin Thomas led the Eagles with eight points and six rebounds.
- Claude, the top freshman rebounder in the Ohio Valley Conference, pulled in seven boards.
- Freshman guard
Ta'lon Cooper canned two three-pointers too and is now shooting a team-best 52 percent from distance on the season.
- MSU scored 20 points in the paint and had 26 of its 50 points come from non-starting five players.
QUOTING COACH SPRADLIN
"Our defense was solid again tonight. You hold a team to 61 points, you are supposed to have a real shot to win. We are just really struggling to score right now. The good thing is, we are 10 games in and we have proven we can be an elite team defensively. The offense is fixable."
