BOX SCORE
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. -- The Morehead State men's basketball team came up short in a 72-68 loss to the Little Rock Trojans on the road Thursday. After holding as much as a nine-point second-half lead, MSU saw the home team whittle away as the Eagles fell in their first-ever game at Little Rock.
The Eagles (16-10, 9-4 OVC) had four players score in double figures, led by Mark Freeman, who had 18 points and six rebounds. Drew Thelwell tacked on 13 points and Alex Gross helped out with 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocks. Jake Wolfe also scored 11.
Gross pulled down four offensive rebounds to pace the Morehead State offense which grabbed 13 boards and turned them into 10 second-chance points.
Morehead State did a great job disrupting Little Rock shots in the contest, coming away with six blocks. Gross' four rejections led the way individually for the Eagles.
How It Happened
MSU led early in the first half 16-9, but after falling behind 27-25, Morehead State went on a 5-0 run with 1:42 left in the first half to take a 30-27 lead. The Eagles then entered halftime with a 30-29 advantage. Morehead State did about half of its first half damage in the paint, scoring 16 of its 30 points close to the basket.
Morehead State kept its lead intact before going on a 7-0 run to grow the lead to 39-31 with 16:58 to go in the contest. MSU still led 48-39 with 13 minutes left but went on a long field goal made drought, and the hosts crept back. Little Rock outscored MSU 18-12 in the next 12 minutes to eventually pull ahead by six, 66-60.
Game Notes
» The Eagles were active in affecting shots on the defensive end, recording six blocks as a team.
» Morehead State cleaned up on the offensive glass, collecting 13 offensive boards in the game.
» Mark Freeman led the Eagles with a game-high 18 points.
» Morehead State got a team-high eight rebounds from Alex Gross.
» Branden Maughmer scored six points and went above 1,900 for his collegiate career (first four years at Cedarville [Ohio]).
Up Next
MSU stays on the road Saturday to face Southeast Missouri at 5 p.m. ET.
