CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Enter the day sitting second on the Ohio Valley Conference's double-double leaderboard, Morehead State women's basketball's
Gabby Crawford ended the afternoon atop the leaderboard after posting her eighth double-double of the season.
The redshirt sophomore led the Eagles in scoring Saturday versus Southeast Missouri, pouring in a team-best 14 points to lead a trio of double-figure scorers. Senior
Jazzmyn Elston and redshirt senior
Tyler Moore chipped in 13 points apiece as each connected on a game-high four three-pointers.
The trio combined for 24 of Morehead State's 32 second-half points with 10 of Moore's 13 points coming in the second half to help spark a comeback attempt. Alas, the attempt fell short after cutting the Redhawk advantage to single digits as Morehead State dropped the contest 61-52.
Adding 12 boards, Crawford tallied her eighth double-double of the season, tying Southeast Missouri's LaTrese Saine for the league's lead. Her 12 rebounds against the Redhawks also mark her ninth double-digit rebounding game of the season.
Defensively, Crawford and Elston each tied season-highs with a pair of steals apiece, tallying a combined four of the team's five steals while sophomore
Ariel Kirkwood led Morehead State with three of the Eagles' five blocks.
Morehead State returns home Thursday to host Tennessee State to begin the final homestand of the 2020-21 season at Johnson Arena. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. ET.
KEY MOMENTS
- Southeast Missouri opened the game on a 20-4 run to race out to an early advantage. After surrendering a make on Morehead State's first field goal attempt, the Redhawks held the Eagles without a made field goal for the final eight-and-a-half minutes of the first quarter while also taking advantage of nine forced turnovers.
- After surrendering the first basket of the second quarter, Morehead State began chipping away at the Redhawk lead, outscoring the Redhawks in the quarter. The Eagles began to heat up from behind the arc, burying 3-of-5 attempts in the period, including two from Jazzmyn Elston.
- Morehead State opened its second half scoring with a pair of treys from Tyler Moore to nearly cut the Southeast Missouri lead to single-digits. Another Moore three later in the quarter would spark a 7-0 Eagle run to cut the deficit to six with thirty seconds to play in the third quarter.
- The Eagles and Redhawks opened the fourth quarter trading baskets as the Eagles kept the Southeast Missouri lead in single-digits, getting points from Lauren Carter, Gabby Crawford, and Ariel Kirkwood.
- Southeast Missouri used a quick 5-0 run to extend its lead back to 14 with just over two-and-a-half minutes remaining. Morehead State answered the run by outscoring the Redhawks 8-3 over the remainder of the game to cut the final deficit to nine.
KEY STATS
- Behind 14 points and 12 rebounds, Gabby Crawford secured her eighth double-double of the season, tying for the OVC-lead in the category.
- Crawford's double-double came while playing a career-high 39 minutes, besting her previous career-high of 38 minutes played at Jacksonville State earlier in February.
- Jazzmyn Elston and Tyler Moore combined to sink all eight of Morehead State's made three-pointers, draining four apiece. The duo buried five of the eight threes in the second half with four made triples coming in the third quarter.
