Morehead, KY (Sports Network) - Angelo Warner put in a layup with nine seconds
left to lift the Morehead State Eagles to a 65-63 decision over the Tennessee
Tech Golden Eagles in an Ohio Valley Conference thriller at Ellis Johnson
Arena.
Warner finished with 12 points, four assists and three steals for Morehead
State (13-14, 7-6 OVC) as it notched its second win in a row. Chad Posthumus
led the hosts with 13 points and was just one rebound shy of a double-double.
Jeremia Samarrippas and Jud Dillard scored 14 points apiece for TTU (9-16,
3-10) as it endured its second straight setback. Dillard also grabbed 11
boards and committed six of the Golden Eagles' 19 turnovers.
Morehead State shot 42.9 percent from the field in the opening half to take a
29-26 lead into halftime. Although the Golden Eagles made only five of their
17 field goal tries in the opening 20 minutes, they made up for it by
converting 16-of-21 at the free-throw line to head into the break trailing by
only three points.
The contest remained close for the majority of the second stanza as neither
side could gain much of an advantage. Samarrippas knocked down jump shots on
back-to-back possessions to give TTU a 63-61 lead with 1:17 left in regulation
but Morehead State responded as Posthumus tied the score with a tip-in.
Dillard missed a go-ahead 3-point attempt before Warner's late game heroics.
TTU had one last shot, but Samarrippas was unable to connect on his attempt
from beyond the arc just before the buzzer.
Morehead State held a narrow, 31-30 edge in the rebounding battle and
outscored TTU, 40-20, in the paint to secure the win. These schools will close
out their respective regular seasons against one another on March 2, in
Cookeville.
GAME NOTES:
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