Box Score

RICHMOND, Ky. – Eastern Kentucky University erased a 21-point second half deficit in a 76-74 victory over Florida Gulf Coast on Thursday at Baptist Health Arena.
 
The Eagles started the second half by hitting nine of their first 11 shots and J.R. Konieczny's 3-pointer with 13:28 left in the game gave his team a 61-40 lead.
 
Jordan Ellerbee's free throw with 12:44 on the clock had the visitors in front by 19, 62-43. 
 
After the hot start the Eagles made just one of their next eight shot attempts and the Colonels strung together a big run, out-scoring FGCU 26-2 to take the lead. 
 
Turner Buttry's two free throws started a stretch of 10 unanswered to cut the 19-point deficit to nine.  Juan Cranford Jr.'s 3-pointer, free throw and layup made it a 5-point game, 64-59, with 7:34 left to play.  Layups from Austin Ball and Montavious Myrick capped the run and staked EKU to a 68-64 lead with 5:32 remaining to play.
 
FGCU scored just two points over a span of 7:38.
 
After the Eagles tied it at 70-70 on a jumper from Ellerbee, Myrick hit a free throw and then Buttry drained a 3-pointer from the top of the key for a 4-point lead with 1:39 left. 
 
Florida Gulf Coast scored four straight and tied the game on Konieczny's dunk with 34 seconds left.  Out of an EKU timeout, MJ Williams drove to the basket and connected on a reverse layup with 6.5 seconds to play.  Rahmir Barno put up a baseline jumper with 1.8 seconds left in an attempt to tie the game but Myrick got blocked the shot and the Colonels secured the rebound.
 
Cranford led EKU with 17 points, 14 of which came in the second half.  Myrick had 15 points, seven rebounds and two blocks.  Williams finished with five points, including what proved to be the game winner, eight assists, three rebounds and three steals.
 
After being out-rebounded 23-15 in the first half, the Colonels out-rebounded FGCU 21-11 in the second half and 36-34 for the game.  EKU turned 12 offensive rebounds into a 16-7 edge in second-chance points.
 
Isaiah Malone had a double-double for the Eagles (10-14, 4-7 ASUN), finishing with 18 points and 11 rebounds.
 
EKU (8-16, 4-7 ASUN) shot 56% in the second half, including knocking down 7-of-16 (44%) from deep.
 
The Colonels used a 9-0 run to turn an early 7-point deficit into a 3-point lead.  Jayden Harris scored four of the nine.  A 1-handed jumper from Myrick gave EKU a 17-13 advantage.
 
Two free throws from Buttry kept the margin at three, 21-18, with 7:16 to play in the first half, however the Colonels scored just five points the rest of the half. 
 
After starting the game 2-for-11 from 3-point range, FGCU hit five of its next eight to fuel its run.  Barno, Ellerbee and Konieczny hit 3-pointers to begin the run.  Two free throws from Konieczny with 33 seconds on the clock handed the Eagles a 39-23 lead.  Jackson Holt hit a 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining in the half to cut it to 13 at the break.
 
Florida Gulf Coast shot 45% from the field in the first half while the Colonels made just 27% of their shots.
 
EKU finishes its homestand against Stetson on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.  Saturday will be Youth Sports Day at Baptist Health Arena.  All youth sports teams are invited to the game and there will be a postgame autograph session following the game.