EKU MOVES TO 5-0 WITH CONVINCING WIN OVER NORFOLK STATE

 By Michael Clark Eastern Kentucky University Director of Athletic Public Relations:

"The Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team used a 20-5 run midway through the second half to pull away from Norfolk State and defeat the visiting Spartans, 68-44, on Saturday night at McBrayer Arena.

EKU (5-0) stayed perfect on the season with the convincing win.

Senior Mike DiNunno led the Colonels with 19 points on the night. The Chicago native connected on 4-of-6 three pointers, and it was his three-point play that sparked EKU’s decisive second half run. Junior Glenn Cosey dropped 14 points and four assists for EKU, while sophomore Corey Walden came off the bench to contribute 15 points and four steals.

Malcolm Hawkins was the only NSU player to reach double figures with 13 points.

EKU (25-of-51) shot better than 50 percent from the field for the third time this season and stifled Norfolk State to a season-low 44 points and just 33 percent (16-of-49) shooting from the field, including 26 percent (6-of-23) in the first half. The 17 first-half points were the fewest by the Spartans in any half this season.

The Colonels scored 10 unanswered points to open the game and then took their largest lead of the first half when Cosey found Walden for a layup that made it 24-8 with 6:02 on the clock. Norfolk State, however, ended the half on a 9-2 run and went into the locker room at halftime down by only nine, 26-17.

EKU held NSU at bay through the first nine minutes of the second half, but the Spartans clawed back into the game with a 7-0 run that cut the Colonels’ lead to four, 36-32, when A.J. Rogers hit a jumper with 11:33 to play.

It was as close as Norfolk State would get. DiNunno converted three free throws on the ensuing EKU possession, which sparked a 20-5 Colonel run that all but sealed the win. DiNunno and Walden buried back-to-back three-pointers to end the run and give EKU a commanding 54-37 lead with 7:23 on the clock.

EKU returns to action when the Colonels host Delaware State on Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m."