JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A failed comeback attempt late resulted in another loss for the ULM men's basketball team with an 83-80 defeat to Morehead State Saturday evening.
 
With a 2-2 tie to start, a pair of scores by the Eagles (3-4) on consecutive possessions put them up by four. MJ Russell responded with a triple to put the Warhawks (1-5) within one. Down by two with 16:14 on the clock, Krystian Lewis drove in a layup to tie the game at 9-9.
 
Morehead State then executed a 7-0 run, started by a free throw after a layup, and also included a three-point shot. Trailing 18-11, ULM caught back up with a jumper from Renars Sondors and two threes from Wiggy Ball and Micah Caster to shorten the lead to two.
 
After an Eagle basket, Lavell Brodnex took over the game, powering a layup, two jumpers, and two free throws to give the Warhawks a 27-25 lead with 7:47 to go.
 
ULM was shut out for the next three minutes as Morehead State scored seven unanswered to take back control. Russell drilled a shot beyond the arch to break the scoreless streak, and Brodnex produced a layup to tie the game at 32-32 with less than four minutes to go in the half.  Two triples by Russell and Sondors powered an 8-2 scoring run to put ULM up by six. Both teams traded free throws and field goals to end up with a 44-38 Warhawk lead at the half.
 
Two buckets by Lewis and Alex Molofeev started ULM off hot in the second half. The Eagles responded with two field goals of their own before a Lewis triple set the lead to nine. The Warhawks went cold from the field as they missed their next four field goals, and Morehead State worked the gap to four.
 
After two free throws by ULM, it held a five-point lead before a Morehead State three-pointer made it a one-possession game at 55-53. Przemek Hartman responded with a three-pointer of his own to bring the lead back to five. The Eagles wasted no time answering, scoring three baskets in a row to take the lead for the first time since the opening half.
 
ULM continued to have no answers as the Eagles added on with two triples, part of a 14-0 run to make it 67-58. Molofeev broke the scoring drought with a layup to make it a seven-point game. The Warhawks continued to score unanswered with a basket from Russell and a dunk by Brodnex to finish an 8-0 run. Down by three, Russell drove in a layup and drew a foul for the free throw shot, making it to tie the game at 69-69.
 
Morehead State answered with a three-pointer to take the lead back. Both teams continued to go back and forth, resulting in a narrow 76-75 Eagle lead with two minutes to go in the game. After a pair of free throws from the Eagles, the Warhawks came up empty as Morehead State went up by five with a hook shot jumper. Combined with a triple from Russell and missed free throws from the Eagles, the Warhawks gave themselves a chance to win with less than seven seconds with the ball.
 
Molofeev was fouled with the ball to go to the line and shot two free throws to make it a one-point game. With ULM fouling Morehead State, the Eagles made both free throw shots, and a last missed shot by Sondors sealed the deal in an 83-80 loss.
 
Russell led the Warhawks again in scoring, shooting 8-15 from the field with 24 points. He now has five straight games scoring 15 or more points. Brodnex showed out with a double-double, scoring 16 points and collecting 12 boards on the night. Lewis and Molofeev also scored double-digit points with 14 and ten points, respectively.
 
ULM is back on the court tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT with a game against hosting ETSU.