COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – A steal by Kelvin Robinson with less than five seconds left in the game helped the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team hold on for a 67-66 win at Tennessee Tech University on Thursday in the Eblen Center.
Clinging to a one-point lead, EKU (12-16, 5-10 OVC) missed two free throws with 35 seconds left in the game. On the other end, the Golden Eagles missed two lay-ups but got the offensive rebound on both. Robinson picked off a pass into the low post with two seconds left in the game.
Robinson was fouled and missed both free throw attempts. A desperation heave from three-quarter court by Tech missed.
Nick Mayo scored Eastern’s first seven points of the second half to stretch a seven-point lead to double digits, 47-36. A Mayo three-pointer from the left wing and a Lachlan Anderson lay-up gave EKU a 13-point lead, 52-39, with 14:16 left in the game.
The Golden Eagles (7-21, 3-12 OVC) didn’t go away. TTU closed the gap to five, 56-51, on two free throws by Jared Sherfield with 9:24 remaining. TTU got within four, 66-62, with Hunter Vick’s free throw at the 2:24 mark. The home team was down just one after two more free throws from Sherfield and a lay-up by Jr Clay with 1:07 left.
Mayo went 6-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 at the line to score 17 points. He also grabbed seven rebounds and moved past Carl Greenfield (802) into seventh place on Eastern Kentucky’s career rebounds list.
Jomaru Brown finished with 13 points and seven boards. Tre King had his second career double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Sherfield finished with a game-best 19 points for Tennessee Tech.
With a one-point lead and just over six minutes left in the first half, the Colonels used a 15-2 run to create a cushion. Brown had an old-fashioned three-point play and Houston King hit two three-pointers during the run. Trey King’s jumper made it a 14-point game, 40-26, with 2:29 remaining in the opening period.
The Golden Eagles scored the final seven points of the first half and Eastern took a seven-point lead, 40-33, into the locker room at the break. Mayo was limited to two minutes of play in the first half after being called for two quick fouls.
The Colonels will conclude their two-game road trip at Jacksonville State on Saturday. The game is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. ET.
