Ohio Valley championship
For the first time since Kenneth Faried was hoovering up every rebound across the Ohio Valley, the Morehead State Eagles are headed to the NCAA Tournament.
Johni Broome compiled a Faried-ian stat line with 27 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks to lead the Eagles to an 86-71 win over Belmont in Evansville, clinching the program’s first March Madness bid since 2011.
The freshman big was nearly unstoppable on the block, making 12 of his 19 shots to earn the OVC Tournament MVP. He was joined on the All-Tournament team by teammates DeVon Cooper and Skyelar Potter, fellow freshman Wendell Green Jr. of Eastern Kentucky, and do-it-all Belmont point guard Grayson Murphy.
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EKU looks to extend streak vs Southeast Mo.
January 21, 2021 GMT
McBrayer Arena, Richmond, Kentucky; Saturday, 4 p.m. EST
BOTTOM LINE: Eastern Kentucky looks for its sixth straight conference win against Southeast Missouri. Eastern Kentucky’s last OVC loss came against the Morehead State Eagles 75-62 on Dec. 14, 2020. Southeast Missouri won 63-59 at Tennessee State on Tuesday.
SUPER SENIORS: Southeast Missouri has benefited heavily from its seniors. Chris Harris, DQ Nicholas, Nana Akenten and Nolan Taylor have combined to account for 60 percent all Redhawks scoring this season, though their output has dropped to 26 percent over the team’s last five games.