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STARKVILLE, Miss. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team trailed by just six points with less than a minute to play at host Mississippi State on Monday night, but Bulldogs senior Dee Bost scored four straight points, including a breakaway dunk with 19 ticks on the clock, to seal the win as the Colonels fell, 76-66, in their season opener at Humphrey Coliseum.

The game was part of the 2K Sports Classic benefitting Coaches vs. Cancer.

EKU (0-1) was down by 11 points with just over three minutes on the clock, before juniors #D’Mitri Riggs and Mike Dinunno# connected on consecutive three-pointers to cut the MSU (1-0) lead to seven, 71-64. After Bost converted just one of two free throws, freshman Eric Stutz rebounded a blocked shot on the opposite end of the floor and laid it in to make it 72-66 with 30 seconds remaining in the game.

Bost made both free throws the next time down the court, however, and then stole the ball and emphatically slammed home the victory for the host Bulldogs and slammed the door on a gritty performance by the Colonels.

Senior Joshua Jones led a balanced EKU scoring attack with 13 points, finishing 3-of-6 from deep, including a pair of key second-half three-pointers. Freshman Timmy Knipp poured in 12 points, all of which came from behind the three-point arc, while Stutz scored 11 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. Dinunno shot just 2-of-11 from behind the three-point line, but hit some big shots late and finished with 10 points and three assists. Riggs came off the bench and provided a spark with nine points.

After shooting just 33 percent (11-of-33) from field goal range and 25 percent (4-of-16) from three-point range in the first half, the Colonels regrouped in the second half to keep the game close, shooting 47 percent (15-of-32) from the field and 35 percent (6-of-17) from deep.

Bost led all scorers in the game with 23 points, while junior Arnett Moultrie recorded a double-double for the Bulldogs with 13 points and 10 boards.

MSU jumped out to its largest lead of the game, 20-8, following a layup by junior Wendell Lewis with 13:49 remaining in the first half. The Colonels methodically chipped away at that lead and got to within five, 24-19, after a three from the corner by Knipp with 5:13 on the clock. A free throw by Stutz sent the Colonels into the locker room at halftime down by just six, 33-27.

MSU led by as many as 11 points numerous times in the second half, but EKU continued to respond, as sophomore Jabs Newby found Knipp for another three-pointer to cut the lead to five, 52-47, with 10 minutes remaining in the game.

EKU returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 12, when the Colonels travel to Big South foe Winthrop. Tip is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET.