Box Score

Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – The lead changed hands 12 times in the second half but the Eastern Kentucky men's basketball team held off High Point , 74-67, on Saturday at McBrayer Arena.

The game featured two teams picked to win their respective conferences, the Ohio Valley for Eastern and the Big South for High Point.

The Panthers (1-2) took a two-point lead on a three-pointer by Lorenzo Cugini with 8:01 left in the game. Corey Walden answered on the other end with a three-pointer for the 15th and final lead change of the game with 7:24 to go.

An alley-oop dunk by Marcus Lewis from Walden, worthy of Top-10 play status, pushed the margin to five, 62-57, but back-to-back baskets by HPU closed the gap to one. The Colonels led by two when Walden came up with a steal and fed Lewis again for a break-away lay-up with 2:41 to play.

High Point missed on two three-pointers that would have made it a one-point game and Walden's two free throws with 1:11 left extended it to a six-point advantage, 69-63. Eastern made 5-of-6 free throws in the final minute to secure the victory.

Glenn Cosey finished with a game-best 25 points. He made 8-of-13 from the field, including 5-of-8 from behind the arc. The senior also had five rebounds and five assists. Lewis and Walden each finished with 16 points. Walden also had six assists and five rebounds.

John Brown led the visitors with 18 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Allan Chaney finished with 16 points and seven rebounds, the first time this season he has not recorded a double-double.

HPU made 51 percent of its shots, but just 29 percent from three-point range. EKU shot 44 percent from the floor and 35 percent from deep. The Colonels made up the difference with nine fewer turnovers and out-scored the Panthers 20-8 off turnovers.

Eastern led by as many as nine points in the first half. A three-pointer by Orlando Williams had the Colonels in front 20-11 with 8:42 before intermission. EKU led by eight after a Walden lay-up with 2:57 on the clock. However, HPU ended the half on a 9-2 run get within a point, 32-31, at the break.

The Colonels four-game home stand continues on Tuesday when Alabama A&M visits McBrayer Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.