MOREHEAD, KY -- Five Eagles scored in double figures, with Valentina Saric and Matilda Soderlund setting new career-highs as Morehead State took down the Ohio Bobcats 89-60 at home Wednesday.
In addition to Saric's 18 and Soderlund's 15, Katie Novik tacked on 15 points, five assists and four steals, while Melissa Secchiaroli added 12 and Blessing King 11.
Morehead State out-rebounded Ohio 42-31 in Wednesday's game, paced by Blessing King's eight boards. The Eagles also collected 17 offensive rebounds and scored 10 second chance points.
Morehead State forced 29 Ohio turnovers in Wednesday's game and turned those takeaways into 33 points on the offensive end of the floor. Novik's four steals led the way for Morehead State.
How It Happened
After falling behind 12-7, Morehead State went on a 6-0 run with 2:36 left in the first quarter to take a 13-12 lead. The Eagles then added three points to that lead by the end of the period and entered the quarter break with an 18-14 advantage. Morehead State capitalized on nine Ohio turnovers in the period, turning them into 11 points on the other end of the floor.
Morehead State kept its first quarter lead intact before going on a 13-0 run starting at the 6:34 mark in the second period, highlighted by a bucket from Hallie Rhodes, to increase its lead to 38-23. The Eagles proceeded to tack on one point to that lead and enjoyed a 43-27 advantage heading into halftime. Morehead State forced seven Ohio turnovers in the period and turned them into seven points.
Following intermission, Morehead State continued to expand its advantage, pushing it to 64-42 before going on a 6-0 run, punctuated by a basket from Novik to expand its lead further to 70-42 with 1:15 to go in the third. The Eagles held onto that lead for the rest of the frame and entered the fourth quarter with a 72-44 edge. Morehead State played well near the basket, scoring 16 of its 29 points in the paint.
Morehead State kept its lead intact before going on an 8-0 run, finished off by Melissa Secchiaroli's three, to grow the lead to 86-54 with 3:14 to go in the contest. The Bobcats narrowed the margin somewhat before the game was over, but the Eagles still cruised the rest of the way for the 89-60 win. Morehead State fired away from deep in the quarter, knocking down four shots to account for 12 of its 17 points.
Game Notes
» Morehead State lit it up from three point land, knocking down 11 treys in the game.
» The Eagles never trailed after taking an 18-14 first quarter lead.
» Morehead State tallied 20 total assists in the game.
» The Morehead State bench made an impact by scoring 48 points to its scoring output.
» Five Morehead State players scored 10 or more points.
» Valentina Saric and Matilda Soderlund came off the bench to score 18 and 15 points, respectively.
» Morehead State had a 42-31 edge on the boards in the win.
» The Morehead State defense forced 29 turnovers.
» Morehead State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 17 offensive boards in the game.
» Valentina Saric led the Eagles with a game-high 18 points.
» Morehead State got a game-high eight rebounds from Blessing King.
Morehead State enjoys a couple days off for Thanksgiving before traveling to South Carolina for a matchup with Presbyterian.
