Men's Hoops Rallies to Pull Off Dramatic 70-69 Overtime Win to Open OVC Play

BOX SCORE

MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Trailing 69-64 with 1:18 left in the overtime period, the Morehead State Men's Basketball team dug as deep as it could and found one last rally as the Eagles came back to defeat UT Martin 70-69 in overtime in both squads' Ohio Valley Conference openers Thursday at Johnson Arena.

Sophomore Jerone Morton scored a team (and career-high) high 18 points, including a wrap-around layup with 15 seconds left in the overtime to seal the win. UT Martin's Tarence Guinyard missed a layup and a tip-in attempt as time expired. Morton scored 15 of his 18 in the final 20 minutes and the extra five, and he also led the team with a career-high seven assists.

Morton also scored the game-tying basket in the regulation, scoring a jumper with 27 seconds left before UTM turned the ball over with four ticks left.

Morehead State has now won 16 straight home games versus UT Martin, with the last UTM win in Johnson Arena coming back on Dec. 19, 2005. 

MSU also got 13 points from starter Tyler Brelsford. Steven Clay came off the bench to score 11, including three triples. The Eagles won the battle of rebounds as well, grabbing 39 to the Skyhawks' 36. Kenny White, Jr., corralled a team-best nine boards, one short of his career high.

Guinyard led four UTM players in double figures with 17 points. 

MSU ended with a season-best nine blocked shots as well, as Anouar Mellouk swatted four.

The first half featured a back-and-forth battle that resulted in the teams going to the locker room tied 31-all.

MSU fell behind by as much as 11 (44-33) in the final half before rallying late. The final eight minutes featured no UTM lead greater than five.

The Eagles get back to OVC action Saturday, hosting Tennessee State at 3:30 p.m. ET.