Men's basketball drops second straight as Cumberlands pulls away late

CAMPBELLSVILLE, Ky. - One night after playing an overtime game, the Midway men's basketball team ran out of gas late, as Cumberlands closed on a 16-3 run to top the Eagles 77-66 on the second day of the Campbellsville Classic on Saturday.

The Eagles showed little rust from Friday's 93-87 loss to Campellsville early on, as a Nick Keeton layup game them a 20-11 lead early.

The Patriots proceeded to close the gap and the game mostly remained a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way, with the lead changing hands seven times.

A Tobias Thompson jump shot gave the Eagles a 63-61 lead with 7:42 to play. But fatigue seemed to set in after that, as Midway proceeded to go 0-6 with five turnovers over the next 7:01, a stretch that saw Cumberlands score 14 unanswered points.

The biggest difference Saturday came in the turnover battle, which the Eagles lost 20-9. The Patriots turned those 20 turnovers into 26 points.

Five Eagles finished in double figures, with Keeton leading the way with 14 points and 11 rebounds, his third-consecutive double-double to open the season.

Midway finished the game with a 34-19 rebounding edge.

Things only get more difficult with two brutal road games next week. The Eagles travel to face NCAA Division-I Murray State on Monday, then turn around an play against NAIA fifth-ranked Georgetown on Thursday.

Monday's game tips at 8 p.m.