Michael Moreno broke the program record with 11 three-pointers as the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team rolled to a 140-79 win over Boyce College on Saturday at Baptist Health Arena.
The Colonels will play at Northern Kentucky on Wednesday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Moreno’s three from the left wing with 2:02 left in the game broke the record of 10 set by Glenn Cosey at Eastern Illinois on Jan. 2, 2014. Moreno finished with a career-best 35 points, the most by a Colonel since Jomaru Brown scored 37 against Tennessee State on Jan. 18, 2020. The Georgetown, Kentucky native finished 12-for-23 from the field, 11-of-22 from deep and added six rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Seven Colonels scored in double figures. In addition to Moreno, Leland Walker (21), Isaiah Cozart (13) and Dardan Kapiti (13) set new career-highs for points in a game. Walker added eight assists, three steals and just one turnover. Kapiti grabbed five rebounds and blocked three shots. Cozart had eight rebounds, three steals and a block.
EKU (5-5) shot 58 percent from the field and finished 23-of-50 for 46 percent from 3-point range. The Colonels had 18 steals and forced 28 turnovers.
Boyce was led by Brody Madeira with 18 points.
Moreno hit two of his five first half 3-pointers in the first minute and a half as the Colonels jumped out to a 6-0 lead. His third 3-pointer made it 11-3. A run of eight answered, four of which was scored by Walker, allowed EKU to push the lead to 15, 30-15. Those eight points started a 17-3 run. John Ukomadu’s dunk capped it and pushed the Eastern Kentucky advantage to 20-plus, 39-18.
Back-to-back lay-ups by DaShawn Jackson and Michael Wardy made it 52-26. Four straight points by Kapiti gave the Colonels their largest lead of the half at 28 points, 64-36, with 3:13 on the clock. EKU went to the locker room up by 26, 69-43.
Moreno had 17 first half points and went 5-for-7 from deep. Eastern Kentucky forced 15 first half turnovers and out-scored Boyce 22-4 off turnovers.
EKU broke open the game with a 20-0 run in the second half. After the Bulldogs scored to cut it to 29, 79-50 with 16:20 on the clock, the visitors didn’t score again until the 11:59 mark. Moreno, Walker, Jackson Holt and Cooper Robb hit 3-pointers during the run. Robb’s triple capped it and pushed the Eastern Kentucky lead to 49, 99-50. Boyce had seven turnovers and went 2-of-9 from the field to start the second half.
Taelon Martin’s lay-up with 17 seconds left in the game gave the Colonels their largest lead of the game at 62 points, 140-78.
Kevin Britton
Associate Director of EKUSports Communications