HALDEMAN, Ky. (Interstat) — A dominant second-half surge, fueled by a career performance from Kate Dike, propelled the Morehead State women’s basketball team to a 64-60 victory over SIU Edwardsville in an Ohio Valley Conference matchup Thursday night at E.T. Johnson Arena.

The Eagles, who trailed by as many as 13 points in the first half, outscored the Cougars 41-30 after halftime to improve to 13-9 overall. SIU Edwardsville, which led for nearly 33 minutes of game time, dropped to 10-11.

The game’s pivotal shift occurred in the third quarter. After a sluggish first half where they managed just 23 points, the Eagles erupted for 23 points in the third period alone. They flipped a 30-23 halftime deficit into a 46-47 lead entering the final quarter, a turnaround sparked by aggressive defense that generated turnovers and easy scoring opportunities in the paint.

Morehead State scored 26 points off 21 SIU Edwardsville turnovers and held a decisive 34-20 advantage in points in the paint. The Eagles also clamped down defensively after the break, limiting the Cougars to 30 points over the final two quarters.

Dike, a 6-foot-3 junior from Kyiv, Ukraine, was the central figure in the comeback. She scored 26 points, grabbed three rebounds and dished out three assists in 34 minutes. Her scoring output was a key driver, but her presence inside altered the game’s flow, particularly during the Eagles’ decisive run. She scored 10 points in the third quarter as Morehead State seized control.

Landon Forbes of Wichita, Kansas, provided crucial support with 12 points and three assists, while Marie Sepp of Tallinn, Estonia, added 11 points.

SIU Edwardsville was led by Kiyoko Proctor of Alton, Illinois, who scored 16 points. Syanne Mohamed of Barrington, Rhode Island, recorded a strong all-around game with 13 points, three assists and three blocked shots. Lauren Miller of Camp Point, Illinois, contributed 10 points and three assists.

The Cougars started strong, using an 11-2 run to close the first quarter with an 11-6 lead. They extended that advantage to 30-17 late in the second quarter before Morehead State scored the final six points of the half to cut the margin to seven.

Despite the Cougars’ early efficiency, their offense stagnated against Morehead State’s intensified defense in the second half. The Eagles took their first lead since the opening minutes at 33-31 on a Landon Forbes 3-pointer midway through the third quarter and never trailed again, though SIU Edwardsville kept the game within a single possession on several occasions in the final minutes.

The game remained tense until the final seconds. With Morehead State leading 62-60, SIU Edwardsville had a chance to tie or take the lead, but a driving layup attempt by Mohamed was blocked by Dike with 24 seconds remaining. Forbes then sank two critical free throws with three seconds left to seal the four-point victory.

The announced attendance was 516. The win completed a regular-season sweep for Morehead State, which also defeated SIU Edwardsville 54-49 on Jan. 3.

SIU Edwardsville will look to rebound on the road at Southern Indiana on Saturday. Morehead State continues its homestand, hosting Lindenwood on Saturday.