ST. CHARLES, Mo. (Interstat) — Lindenwood used a dominant first-half performance to defeat Morehead State 77-64 in an Ohio Valley Conference men’s basketball game Thursday at Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena. The Lions built a 44-38 halftime lead and maintained control throughout the second half before an announced crowd of 1,301. Milos Nenadic led Lindenwood with 21 points and six rebounds. Clayton Jackson added 17 points and seven assists, while Dontrez Williams scored 20. Jon Carroll paced the Eagles with 18 points and nine rebounds. George Marshall contributed 16 points. The loss dropped Morehead State to 6-8 overall, while Lindenwood improved to 9-5.

Morehead State Eagles (6-7) at Lindenwood Lions (8-5) Preview ST. CHARLES, Mo. (Interstat) — Ohio Valley Conference play opens Thursday with Lindenwood looking to continue its strong start at home against a Morehead State team seeking its first road win of the season. The game tips off at 7 p.m. CST at Robert F. Hyland Performance Arena. The Lions (8-5) enter with the better overall record and have been formidable on their home court, winning their last four games in St. Charles by an average margin of 41.5 points, albeit against non-Division I and lower-tier competition. Their most recent test was a narrow 65-70 road loss to Missouri State on Dec. 23. Lindenwood is led by guard Jadis Jones, who is averaging 16.6 points over his last five games. He scored 23 points in the Lions’ conference-opening win at Eastern Illinois on Dec. 6. Morehead State (6-7) has won three straight, including a 115-65 rout of Alice Lloyd on Sunday. However, the Eagles are 0-6 in true road games this season, with losses at Georgia, Clemson, and Murray State. Guard Davion Cunningham has been key during the Eagles’ win streak, averaging 13.3 points. He posted 18 points, seven rebounds and five assists in just 17 minutes off the bench in Sunday’s victory. The Eagles’ last road outing was a 64-60 overtime win at Southern Indiana on Dec. 20. Lindenwood won both meetings last season. Thursday’s contest is the first of a home-and-home series, with the Lions visiting Morehead State on Jan. 31. Up Next: Morehead State visits SIU Edwardsville on Saturday. Lindenwood hosts Southern Indiana on Saturday.