MOREHEAD, KY (SEMO ATHLETICS) --Â DQ Nicholas scored 17 points and made three 3-pointers as Southeast Missouri (4-9, 2-5) fell to Morehead State (10-6, 7-2), 76-65, Thursday night in a nationally-televised ESPNU matchup.
Nicholas scored 12 points and made all of his 3-pointers in the first half. Nolan Taylor and Chris Harris also scored double figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
It was a game of runs in the opening half with neither team leading by more than six points.
Down, 25-19, with 6:17 left to play, SEMO put together a 7-0 run making four free throws and using a 3-pointer by Nicholas to go ahead, 26-25.
Nicholas later tied the game at 29-29 with less than a minute left before MSU responded with five-straight points. Ta'lon Cooper drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the Eagles a 34-29 advantage at halftime.
SEMO shot 16 free throws and scored nine of its points on those attempts. Nicholas made 4-of-5 field goals to lead all scorers in the first half.
SEMO executed well in the second stanza, but just couldn't get ahead of MSU the rest of the way.
The Redhawks were within four or less points several times until the MSU pulled away for good in the final 3:27. Nicholas and Harris made free throws to make it a one-point game twice, and Nygal Russell made a layup to get SEMO within a point once more.
However, the Eagles didn't squander their lead.
Nana Akenten made a 3-pointer to narrow MSU's lead to 65-59 with 1:34 on the clock.
After what appeared to be turnover on the Eagles ensuing in-bounds pass, Nicholas was charged with a foul and a technical foul on SEMO's bench followed. Cooper and KJ Hunt each split two free throws.
Then, Harris missed a 3-pointer on the Redhawks next possession. A foul by Akenten sent Hunt to the free throw line again. This time, Hunt made both of his shots to complete a four-point swing giving MSU a 69-69 lead at the 1:17 mark.
A James Baker free throw allowed MSU to take its biggest lead (74-62) before the Eagles claimed their sixth-straight win.
Nicholas shot 5-of-9 from the field and 4-of-7 at the free throw line. It was his second-straight double-digit game and fifth time scoring double figures this season.
Taylor followed with 13 points and six rebounds, while Harris, despite going 1-of-12 from the field made 7-of-8 free throws en route to his team-high 10th double-digit effort.
Akenten added eight rebounds. SEMO outrebounded MSU, 35-33.
MSU defeated SEMO for the second time in five days to complete its two-game sweep of the Redhawks.
Tonight marked the first time SEMO played on ESPNU in five years.
SEMO heads to Eastern Kentucky Saturday.
