Morehead State men’s basketball picked up its first win of the 2009-10 season, rolling through in-state foe Brescia, 86-51 Monday night at Johnson Arena.
Junior Kenneth Faried earned his first double-double of the year to lead the Eagles, scoring 24 points and pulling down 15 rebounds.
It was a change of pace for MSU (1-1), who opened the season last Friday at No. 4 Kentucky. This time, the Eagles were the physically bigger team and it showed with a 19-rebound edge. Brescia (0-3) kept it interesting early in first half by drilling five of their eight 3-pointers, but a 6:24 scoring drought to end the half allowed Morehead State to open a 22-point lead. That stretched into a 36-4 run the spanned halftime and put the game out of reach for the NAIA Bearcats.
“We were so excited to play the Kentucky game, so it’s always interesting to see how our team is going to respond,” MSU coach Donnie Tyndall said. “Brescia hit a couple of threes to keep it close but eventually our size and athleticism allowed us to pull ahead.”
Faried had tallied a double-double by the intermission and sophomore Terrance Hill and senior Les Simmons scored 12 and 11 points respectively. Senior point guard Brandon Shingles had seven points, seven assists and five steals, despite four turnovers.
“Brandon makes our team go,” Tyndall said. “I give him the freedom to play through mistakes.”
The Eagles shot 47.8 percent from the field, including 41.7 percent from beyond the arc in the second half to maintain the lead. Tyndall was able to clear his bench late in the game, giving MSU’s newcomers a chance to play.
“It’s always good for your young guys to get a chance to play,” Tyndall added.
Andrew Howard led the Bearcats with 15 points and Aaron Tandy had seven rebounds. Doug Denton had four assists for Brescia.
Monday marked the first of a three-game home stand by the Eagles. MSU will host Louisiana-Monroe Saturday at Johnson Arena at 7:30 pm and after a break for Thanksgiving, return to Johnson Arena to face Kent State on Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.
“Louisiana-Monroe is a very good Sun Belt team,” Tyndall said. “The biggest thing for us will be to not give up open transition buckets.
Rowan County Sports
Related Photos
-
MSU photo
Morehead State Men’s Basketball earns season’s first win
- Rowan County Sports
-
-
Vikings and Lady Vikings win big in 61st District opening round
Both the Rowan County baseball and softball squads moved forward in the postseason Monday night.
-
Chapman’s big hit equals big Viking win
Even with district tournaments upon us, the Rowan County Vikings did not forget to finish the regular season.
-
Rowan boys track & field fight hard in state meet
After winning the 6th Region title, the Rowan County boys track & field team took its show on the road to Louisville to compete in the Class 2A State meet.
-
Rowan softball suffers home finale defeat to Russell
Despite a solid defensive effort, the Lady Vikings could not overcome an even stronger pitching game from the Russell Lady Devils.
-
Free Fishing Derby for kids in Rowan
The first weekend in June is a great time to enjoy free fishing and boating on national forest land.
-
Cave Run Muskies 12U wins with double dose of walk off homers
This past Sunday the Cave Run Muskies defeated the West Virginia Wildcats at Cave Run Muskies Park, winning by way of a walk off homerun in a true nail biter, 8-6.
-
Vikings finish sweep of Fairview
Knowing your competition can go a long way when you’re trying to pull out a win. The Rowan County Vikings knew theirs quite well, pulling off its second victory over Fairview in four days on Wednesday night, 1-0. Three up, three down was the story for the visitor’s offense, as Rowan’s boys laid down the shutout.
-
RCMS baseball finish season strong
Building for the future is how you develop consistency within a program. The Rowan County Middle School baseball team did just this, capping off the regular season with a big win over Mason County at home this past Saturday, 3-2.
-
In the Post: How high can the Eagles fly?
It's been many years since Sean Woods’ unforgettable days playing under now legendary coach Rick Pitino at the University of Kentucky. Prior to Donnie Tyndall's stint at MSU, it had also been many years since the Morehead men's program had made it to the big dance. In six seasons Tyndall changed not only the outlook of a program, but fulfilled the hopes and dreams of a community that had long desired to see the Eagles soar.
-
Former UK star set to host local hoops camp
A free regional basketball camp conducted by former University of Kentucky all-star Jeff Sheppard will be offered by Operation UNITE this summer. All school-age youth are invited to participate in the Shoot Hoops Not Drugs program Tuesday, June 5 in Rowan County at the old middle school gym, 415 West Sun Street.
- More Rowan County Sports Headlines
-
Vikings and Lady Vikings win big in 61st District opening round
