EKU men’s basketball second half comeback comes up short

Jacksonville (15-8, 7-4 ASUN) put an end to the EKU comeback bid by answering with a 9-0 run.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (WTVQ) – Curt Lewis finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and three steals, but Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team lost at Jacksonville University, 81-68, on Wednesday.

The Colonels cut a 13-point halftime deficit to six midway through the second half.  Russhard Cruickshank started a 7-0 run with a 3-pointer.  Devontae Blanton connected on a lay-up.  Cooper Robb’s turn-around jumper finished it off and made it 56-50 with 12:07 left in the game.

Jacksonville (15-8, 7-4 ASUN) put an end to the EKU comeback bid by answering with a 9-0 run.  The Colonels went more than four minutes without scoring after Robb’s jumper.  Gyasi Powell’s lay-up with 8:05 to play made it a 15-point game, 65-50.

Robb also had 14 points.  Cruickshank finished with 11 points.

EKU scored the first four points of the game on a lay-up from Michael Moreno and a steal and dunk by Lewis.  However, the Dolphins scored the next 12 points.  A quick 8-0 Colonel run cut a 10-point deficit, 23-13, to two.  Moreno hit a 3-pointer, Blanton put in a leaning jumper and Lewis found the bottom of the basket for three from the right wing to make it a two-point game, 23-21.

Eastern Kentucky (11-14, 3-8 ASUN) was down just three, 29-26, after Cruickshank made a 3-pointer from the left wing with 6:16 to go in the first half.  Jacksonville scored the next eight points as the Colonels went nearly three minutes without scoring.  A lay-up from Rod Brown with 3:49 on the clock capped the run and gave the home team a 37-26 advantage.  JU went to the locker room up 45-32 after shooting 64 percent in the first half.

EKU forced 15 turnovers in the game and committed only three.

Jacksonville shot 57 percent from the field for the game.  The Dolphins had a 41-24 rebounding edge.  Kevion Nolan led JU with 15 points and five assists.

 The Colonels will play at Lipscomb in Nashville on Saturday at 5 p.m.  Tickets for Eastern Kentucky’s next home game, on Feb. 16 against North Alabama can be purchased at EKUSports.com/MBBTix.