JONESBORO, Ark. — Desi Sills dropped 15 points, with nine in the second half, but the Arkansas State men’s basketball team could not overcome a hot-shooting Morehead State team, falling 75-51 Friday night at First National Bank Arena.
Sills’ effort led the Red Wolves (3-2), who only committed just 10 personal fouls in the contest, but the Eagles (3-3) shot a blistering 53.3% (32-60) from the floor and 39.1% (9-23) from long range. A-State, on the other hand, shot 37.3% (19-51) from the field and connected on 11 of 19 shots at the free-throw line (57.9%).
Marquis Eaton scored 10 points to go along with two boards and five assists, while Norchad Omier scored nine points with eight rebounds and four steals. A-State outscored Morehead State on fast breaks, 14-4 while the Red Wolves’ bench edged MSU’s 12-11.
Johni Broome was a force in the post for MSU, scoring a game-high 20 points (10-11 FG) with nine rebounds and six of the Eagles’ 10 blocked shots. He was one of four double-figure scorers on the night, including Skyelar Potter (16), Tray Hollowell (11) and Ta’lon Cooper (11). Cooper also added a pair of blocks with eight boards and eight assists.
A-State struck first on a Caleb Fields layup before the Eagles pulled ahead the rest of the night. MSU’s largest lead of the first half came with 1:43 to play, when Jaylen Sebree knocked in a shot off the glass to make it 36-21. An Omier bucket off a turnover, one of 17 takeaways by the Red Wolves, concluded the half with A-State trailing 36-23.
Morehead State expanded its lead early in the second half, including a 13-0 stretch midway through the half to make it 61-32 with 9:40 remaining. That 29-point margin would mark A-State’s largest deficit. The Red Wolves would close strong defensively, holding the Eagles scoreless for the final two minutes, but MSU would hold on for the win to open the CollegeInsider.com Eracism Invitational.
A-State returns to action Sunday, hosting another tough foe in Kansas City to conclude the multi-team event. Tip-off at First National Bank Arena is slated for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+.
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