The Govs men’s basketball team fell 82-89 to Morehead State at the Dunn Center on Thursday, Jan. 19, marking a four-game losing streak to the Eagles and Head Coach Dave Loos’s first game back after taking a leave for his health.
“I was excited to get back and get involved. I was able to do that for practices this week and help with the game preparations,” Loos said.
The Govs hit the field strong and eager to defeat the Eagles.
“We came out so energetic, we were ready to go,” senior guard/forward John Murry said.
APSU was able to build momentum early by being consistent with the 3-point shot. Jared Savage, Murry and Zach Glotta all contributed to the drive. However, the Eagles took a lead over the Govs for part of the first half.
By halftime, the Govs reclaimed their lead with a score of 42-38. Murry led the Govs in points at the half with 18. The senior from Indiana went 2-2 from behind the arc and made four of five free-throw attempts; allowing him to become a key player early in the contest.
The Govs went into the second-half with a 4-point lead that shrank to a 2-point lead with about 15 minutes remaining in the game. Shortly after, Morehead State tied the Govs and took the lead at 54-57. The Govs tied the game back up at 67-67 with two free-throws by Kenny Jones, but Morehead State quickly overcame the Govs once again.
The Eagles built a 67-71 lead, but the Govs worked their way back. A 3-point shot by junior guard Josh Robinson tied the score once again at 75-75. The Eagles fought to gain a solid lead, and APSU battled to prevent Morehead from pulling away. However, the Eagles were able to clutch the victory with a final score of 82-89.
Robinson was the leader for total points on the Govs’ side, with 9 points after the first half and a final count of 23. Murry followed Robinson with 21 total points.
“[Robinson] picked it up in the second half,” Loos said. “He made some big shots for us.”
Xavier Moon was a standout player for the Eagles, scoring the most points in the game with 26. Moon was also responsible for two of Morehead’s five steals.
“He had a terrific game, and we have to tip our cap to him,” Loos said to letsgopeay.com, “but we went behind too many ball screens for sure, and that gave [Moon] pretty good looks.”
The Govs have some work to do before facing rival Murray State on Saturday, Jan. 21.
“Help-side, coming up with 50-50 balls, and rebounding, those top three,” Murry said. “If we can at least raise those efforts just little bit higher, I feel like we can get a win.”
