EAGLES RALLY LATE, PUNCH TICKET TO OVC TITLE GAME

EVANSVILLE, IN - Morehead State fought back in the second half Friday night, defeating Southeast Missouri State 66-61 in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament semifinals at the Ford Center.

The Eagles faced adversity after SEMO built a nine-point lead midway through the second half. Morehead State stayed patient and slowly chipped away before taking control in the final minutes.

Forward Anouar Mellouk had a huge night for the Eagles, scoring a career-high 22 points while grabbing seven rebounds. Guard George Marshall added 14 points and eight boards, including a key dunk late that tied the game and energized the Eagles.

Inside, Jon Carroll controlled the paint with a double-double, finishing with 10 points and 14 rebounds while also blocking three shots. Morehead State also won the rebounding battle 44-40, giving the Eagles several second-chance opportunities.

Offense was hard to come by at times as Morehead State shot 38 percent from the field, but defense kept them in the game. SEMO shot just 30 percent in the second half as the Eagles tightened up defensively.

With under 30 seconds remaining, Chase Dawson delivered the biggest moment of the night, hitting a short jumper to give Morehead State the lead. Free throws from Josiah LeGree and Marshall in the final seconds secured the win.

Morehead State improves to 20-12 and advances to the OVC Championship game, where the Eagles will face Tennessee State with an NCAA Tournament bid on the line.

Austin Stuckey, The Stable -- Photo Credit: Morehead State University Athletics