JONESBORO, Ark. (11/26/21) – Desi Sills dropped 15 points, with 9 in the second half, but the Arkansas State men's basketball team could not overcome a hot-shooting Morehead State team, falling 75-51 Friday night at First National Bank Arena.

Sills' effort led the Red Wolves (3-2), who only committed just 10 personal fouls in the contest, but the Eagles (3-3) shot a blistering 53.3 percent (32-60) from the floor and 39.1 percent (9-23) from long range. A-State, on the other hand, shot 37.3 percent (19-51) from the field and connected on 11 of 19 shots at the free-throw line (57.9 percent).

Marquis Eaton scored 10 points to go along with 2 boards and 5 assists, while Norchad Omier scored 9 points with 8 rebounds and 4 steals. A-State outscored Morehead State on fast breaks, 14-4 while the Red Wolves' bench edged MSU's 12-11.

Johni Broome was a force in the post for MSU, scoring a game-high 20 points (10-11 FG) with 9 rebounds and 6 of the Eagles' 10 blocked shots. He was one of four double-figure scorers on the night, including Skyelar Potter (16), Tray Hollowell (11) and Ta'lon Cooper (11). Cooper also added a pair of blocks with 8 boards and 8 assists.

A-State struck first on a Caleb Fields layup before the Eagles pulled ahead the rest of the night. MSU's largest lead of the first half came with 1:43 to play, when Jaylen Sebree knocked in a shot off the glass to make it 36-21. An Omier bucket off a turnover, one of 17 takeaways by the Red Wolves, concluded the half with A-State trailing 36-23.

Morehead State expanded its lead early in the second half, including a 13-0 stretch midway through the half to make it 61-32 with 9:40 remaining. That 29-point margin would mark A-State's largest deficit. The Red Wolves would close strong defensively, holding the Eagles scoreless for the final 2 minutes, but MSU would hold on for the win to open the CollegeInsider.com Eracism Invitational.

A-State returns to action Sunday, hosting another tough foe in Kansas City to conclude the multi-team event. Tip-off at First National Bank Arena is slated for 3 p.m. CT on ESPN+ and on the radio on the EAB Red Wolves Sports Network.