Box Score FRANKFORT, Ky. – The Kentucky State men's basketball team held on for its third straight victory, claiming a 91-87 win over Morehouse on Thursday at the Exum Center.
Malcolm Smith had 26 points to lead the Thorobreds, who have won five of their last six games and lost by just one point in the lone defeat.
Kevin Shaw added 19 points, while connecting three times from outside and going 8-of-10 from the line, and
Tryston Ford also reached double figures with 12 points. Robert Askew led five Morehouse players in double figures.
Kentucky State held the lead for the majority of the game, with Morehouse only holding two brief one-point leads in the first half. The Thorobreds jumped out to an early lead when
Tryston Ford sank a 3-pointer on the game's first possession and scored five points in a game-opening 14-4 run. Throughout the game, Morehouse would fight back each time Kentucky State pulled out to a lead, first taking advantage of a stretch in which the Thorobreds went six minutes without a field goal to take a 28-27 lead.
The Thorobreds pulled back in front for a 40-37 lead by halftime, and the second half would bring more of the same. Kentucky State opened up another lead at 54-46 after back-to-back 3-pointers from Smith and Ford, but Morehouse would quickly answer with a 10-2 run to tie the game. The Thorobreds answered that run with nine straight points of their own, only to see the Tigers again cut the margin to two.
The Thorobreds didn't hold a comfortable lead until scoring six straight to take an 82-72 lead at the 2:00 mark. Though Morehouse made three desperation 3-pointers in the final minute, the Thorobreds were able to put the game away from the free throw line, where they shot 83 percent (24-of-29) on the night.
The teams had fairly even shooting numbers, with Kentucky State shooting 48 percent (30-of-62) from the field and 32 percent (7-of-22) from 3-point range, compared with Morehouse's 49 percent (33-of-68) overall and 33 percent (9-of-27) from outside. Morehouse held a 46-32 rebounding advantage, but turned the ball over 22 times to 14 for Kentucky State.
With the win, Kentucky State improves to 6-4 on the season and 5-1 in SIAC competition, while Morehouse drops to 6-4 overall and 2-3 in the conference. The Thorobreds are back in action on Saturday at the Exum Center when they host Clark Atlanta at 1 p.m.
