BOX SCORE
MOREHEAD, Ky. -- A 22-2 run by host Auburn was just too much to overcome for the Morehead State men's basketball team in its season opener in Alabama Tuesday. The Eagles made a run at the end of the half to get it to a 20-point deficit and had a solid 12-minute period outscoring the hosts by double-digits, but in the end Auburn finished off the game with a 77-54 victory.
Morehead State was led by freshman forward
Johni Broome with 12 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds. The Eagles, as they did 24 times in the 2020-21 season, out-rebounded their opponent. Morehead State won the board battle over the Tigers, 39-35. Junior guard
Jaylen Sebree corralled a career-high 10 rebounds.
The home team sped out to an 11-0 advantage as its defense held the Eagles without a made field goal for first 9:20 of the game. The Tigers led 38-9 with 4:40 left in the opening period, but a trio of three-pointers from
Tray Hollowell,
Drew Thelwell and
Skyelar Potter sparked a 15-6 run to end the first 20 minutes trailing 44-24.
From the 4:48 mark of the first half to the 8:47 mark of the second, the Eagles actually outscored their SEC foes 34-19. But, Auburn used a 10-0 flurry coming out of a media timeout to put the game effectively out of reach. Fourteen was as close as MSU trimmed its deficit to.
Sophomore guard
Ta'lon Cooper also reached double figures for the Eagles with 11 points.
MSU ended the night shooting 37 percent (22-of-59) but improved to 41 percent efficiency in the second half. The Tigers hurt the Eagles to tune of 17 mistakes to just six for Auburn. The home squad turned that into a 19-6 points off mistakes cushion.
Wendell Green, Jr., led all players with 19 points for Auburn.
The Eagles remain in Alabama for a Friday night battle at UAB. Game time is 7 p.m. ET.
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