Junior Nick Mayo poured in a game-high 25 points, but it was not enough as the short-handed Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team fell at second-place Murray State, 88-73, on Saturday night at the CFSB Center.
Mayo connected on 10-of-20 shots from the field to finish with 25 points and four rebounds. Sophomore DeAndre Dishman added 16 points and posted career highs in assists (four) and steals (six). Freshman Dedric Boyd contributed 12 points.
EKU (8-15, 2-8 OVC) was playing without its top two point guards in Dujuanta Weaver and JacQuess Hobbs (both injured) and its fourth-leading scorer in Jackson Davis (season-ending injury).
Freshman Cameron Carmical made his first career start at point guard for the Colonels and played admirably, committing only one turnover in 15 minutes of action.
As a team, EKU committed only eight turnovers on the night, its lowest amount against a Division-I opponent this season.
However, Murray State (16-5, 8-2 OVC) out-rebounded Eastern, 36-23, and the Racers shot a blistering 61 percent (33-of-54) from the floor and 55 percent (11-of-20) from deep.
The Colonels, meanwhile, connected on only 2-of-11 three-pointers in the game (18.2 percent).
Jonathan Stark paced the Racers with 22 points, while Terrell Miller added a 14-12 double-double.
EKU grabbed an early four-point lead when a free throw by Dishman made it 13-9 with 13:27 remaining in the first half. Murray State, however, responded with a 14-0 run and took a 10-point lead, 23-13, when Byron Hawkins knocked down a three-pointer at the 9:24 mark.
The Racers’ advantage ballooned to 15 before the Colonels ended the first half on an 8-2 run. Freshman Peyton Broughton’s four-point play played a large part in the run, and a step-back jumper at the buzzer by Boyd sent EKU into the locker room at halftime down by only six, 39-33.
MSU opened the second half on a 20-6 run and took control of the game when another three-pointer by Hawkins made it a 20-point lead, 59-39, with 13:46 left. The Colonels cut it to 12, 79-67, with 2:47 remaining, but that was as close as they got.
EKU returns home to host first-place Belmont on Thursday, February 1, at 8 p.m. ET.
— www.EKUSports.com —
Steve Fohl
Associate Director of EKUSports Communications
