Thursday OVC Highlights

Ray’Sean Taylor Sets a Record

(St. Louis, MO) – Southern Illinois Edwardsville’s Ray’Sean Taylor set a record and that is one of the many Thursday OVC highlights. Four of the league’s five games were decided by four or less points and one went to overtime.

Taylor’s Record-Breaking Performance

SIUE’s ‘Taylor Cousins’ were outstanding during the Cougars’ 77-66 win over Western Illinois. Ray’Sean (23 points) and Brian (19) combined to score 42 points and Ray’Sean’s total moved him into first place on the all-time SIUE Division 1 scoring list.

The Collinsville, Illinois native has amassed 1,558 points, passing his former teammate Shamar Wright (1,549). While Wright set the record in 154 games, Taylor accomplished the feat in 100. Taylor already holds the program’s three-point basket record.

The Cougars (8-6, 1-2) picked up their first conference win of the season before a season-high crowd of 1,989.

OVC Highlights – Four Tight Games

Eastern Illinois won a hard-fought, overtime contest over Lindenwood (78-74). EIU’s Obadiah Curtis sank the shot that sent the game to an extra session and then scored six points during ‘free basketball’, securing the Panthers’ (5-8, 1-1) first OVC win and handing the Lions (6-8, 1-2) their second league loss.

Zion Fruster led EIU with 29 points and Kooper Jacobi recorded a 12-point, ten-rebound, double-double. Markeith Browning II (21) and Anias Futrell (18) sparked the Lions’ offensive attack.

Little Rock trailed at UT Martin for the entire game, but came from behind to win a 57-56 decsion on a last second shot from Johnathan Lawson. The Trojans trailed throughout and by as many as twelve points during the game’s second half.

Little Rock (8-5, 2-0) didn’t allow the home team to record a field goal during the final 13 minutes of the game. Lawson led the Trojans with 14 points. Josue Grullon scored 20 for the Skyhawks (5-9, 1-2).

Southeast Missouri stayed tied with Morehead State in the conference race with a narrow, road win at Tennessee State. SEMO’s BJ Ward broke a 65-all tie with a free throw during the game’s final 25 seconds. Teammate Teddy Washington added one more from the charity stripe with seven seconds left for the final 67-65 score.

Washington finished the game with eleven points and seven steals. SEMO (8-6, 3-0) held the Tigers without a field goal for the final 2:28 of the contest. Josh Ogundele came off the Tiger (4-10, 0-3) bench to lead all scorers with 17 points.

Tennessee Tech (7-7, 2-1) has won three straight games and sit alone in fourth place in the OVC. The Golden Eagles defeated Southern Indiana (6-8, 1-3) 68-64. Daniel Egbuniwe recorded a 14-point/14-rebound double-double as Tech led by double digits during the game’s second half and held on for the narrow win.

Stephen Olowoniyi matched Egbuniwe’s double-double with a 26-point, 13-rebound effort. USI is the first OVC team to play four league games.

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Editor: Cover photo of Ray’Sean Taylor, courtesy of siuecougars.com.