NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Despite trailing by as many as 12 and withstanding a 19-0 run by host Lipscomb, Morehead State women's basketball showed good fight as the team weathered numerous scoring runs from both teams as a furious second-half comeback attempt fell just short. The Eagles (1-4) fell to the Bisons (2-1), 79-73, Thursday afternoon in Nashville.
Throughout the game, the two programs traded the lead six times as both teams were beneficiaries of long, double-digit scoring runs in an energetic 40 minutes of basketball.
In her first start of the season, junior
Ellie Jo Johnson provided a steady presence for Morehead State, nearing her career-high scoring total with 13 points Thursday. She was 5-of-6 from the floor and 3-of-4 from the free throw line, picking up buckets in several key moments for the Eagles.
Sparking the Eagles off the bench was senior
Jazzmyn Elston who buried a season-high four triples, tallying 12 points in the contest. Her 12 points were part of a big game for the Morehead State bench as the Eagles' bench outproduced Lipscomb's bench 26-10. In addition to 12 points, Elston added three rebounds, all offensive, to produce extra shot attempts for Morehead State. The three offensive rebounds were the difference for Morehead State in winning the rebounding margin, outrebounding Lipscomb 41 to 38 and 14 to 11 on the offensive glass.
Speaking of cleaning up the boards, the Eagles had four players corral five or more rebounds, led by redshirt sophomore
Lauren Carter who pulled down a game-high eight boards. Sophomore
Ariel Kirkwood (seven), redshirt sophomore
Gabby Crawford (six), and sophomore
Tomiyah Alford (five) joined Carter with five or more rebounds in the game.
Morehead State also continued to turn its defense into offense, getting 14 points off 15 forced Lipscomb turnovers. Of the 15 forced turnovers, eight came via steal with Kirkwood swiping a game-high four. The Eagles also produced six blocks with Kirkwood leading with a game-high three blocks.
The Eagles won't have to wait long before returning to the floor, returning to Johnson Arena Saturday to host Bowling Green. The game tips at 12 p.m. ET and will stream live on ESPN+.
KEY MOMENTS
- After trading baskets to open the game, Lipscomb used a 9-0 run sparked by a pair of three balls to open an early 13-3 advantage in the first.
- Morehead State quickly responded thanks to an 8-0 run of their own, propelled by four forced turnovers, with each of the run's eight points scored in the paint. Over the final nearly six minutes of the first quarter, the Eagles would extend their run to 17-4, forcing six total turnovers in the quarter, to claim a three-point advantage into the second quarter.
- Back-to-back three balls from Tyler Moore and Morgan DeFoor, respectively, extended Morehead State's run to a 23-4 run over a nearly eight-minute span of game clock, pushing the Eagle lead to its largest of the game, nine points.
- Lipscomb quickly answered Morehead State's long run with an extended run of their own, holding the Eagles scoreless for nearly six minutes, en route to a staggering 19-0 run—sparked by four deep threes—in the second quarter to jump to a 10-point advantage. The Eagles trimmed the advantage before a pair of Jayln Holcomb field goals extended Lipscomb's halftime lead to 12.
- After trading baskets to open the third quarter, Morehead State led by Ellie Jo Johnson's five points and Lauren Carter's three points generated a quick 8-0 run to trim the Bison lead to a single basket. The teams again traded baskets over the final minutes of the quarter before a Lai'Janique Perry-Ellis three-pointer cut the Lipscomb lead to three going into the final frame.
- The Perry-Ellis three-ball created momentum for Morehead State coming into the final quarter, as the Eagles lengthened their run to 10-0, including scoring the first seven points of the fourth quarter, to regain the lead.
- Lipscomb's Taylor Clark willed Lipscomb back to the lead late scoring 10 of the Bisons' 15 points over the final three minutes of the game. A pair of Elston threes helped keep the game within a possession both ways heading into the final minute before Lipscomb closed the game on a 7-0 run to claim the six-point victory.
KEY STATS
- Leading to a pair of long runs that allowed Morehead State to take or regain the lead, the Eagles created 11 of the team's 15 forced turnovers during the team's long scoring runs in the first and third quarters.
- Producing 26 points off the bench, Thursday's game marked the first game since last season's finale on Feb. 29, 2020, versus Eastern Kentucky, that the Eagles' bench scored 20 or more points.
- Jazzmyn Elston's four made three-pointers against Lipscomb were the most made three-point field goals by an Eagle in a game since Elston hit five threes against Tennessee State on Feb. 22, 2020.
- With six blocks, Morehead State has not lost the blocking battle in a game this season. Over the last 16 games, the Eagles have been out-blocked by their opponent on only one occasion.
- Grabbing 17 offensive boards against the Bison, the Eagles collected 17 second-chance points. The game marked the fourth occasion this season, Morehead State has scored 10 or more second-chance points.
