Morehead State came into Lantz Arena Thursday averaging just over 73 points per game. That average may drop a little after scoring only 59 points in a 17 point loss to the Panthers.

The Panther defense shut down the Eagles by switching defenses on a consistent basis throughout the game.

They alternated between a box and one, 2-3 zone and man to man.

“We practiced all week on different zone defenses,” Josh Gomes said. “Switching defenses kept them off balance all night.”

Fourteen points is a decent game for the average basketball player, but when your name is Ricky Minard, 14 points on five of 12 shooting means Eastern accomplished its goal.

“We knew if we could limit what he can do, we’d have a better chance to win,” Gomes said. “The box and one on Ricky got him frustrated.”

“Tonight was the first time we committed to going to the box and one defense,” Eastern head coach Rick Samuels said. “I think it really bothered them. We were in it for 10 possessions and I don’t think they scored once.”

Samuels said his team got a lot of practice running the box and one last year.

“We ran the box and one every practice last year against Henry (Domercant),” Samuels said.

All the practice paid off Thursday night.

Minard averages just over 20 points a game but took on a heavier load tonight in the absence of Chez Marks.

Marks was the Eagles’ shooter, who re-irritated his left knee, in last Saturday night’s game against Samford. The injury ended Marks’ career as an Eagle.

Marks averaged just over 17 points a game this season before he was sidelined with the knee injury. Ironically, the Panthers beat the Eagles by 17 points.

The Eagles shot just 31 percent from the floor on nine of 29 shooting in the first half.

“Early in the first half we kept changing defenses and they got real puzzled,” Samuels said.

“They got stale and never really recovered from it.”

They picked it up in the second half going 10 of 23 from the field but it wasn’t enough to overcome the hole they dig for themselves in the first.

When all was said and done, the multiple Panther defenses held the Eagles’ offense to just a 36.5 shooting percentage.

Samuels said if the Panthers were to play a simple man to man defense against the Eagles, he knew they would be able to attack it.

However, the switching defenses and the loss of Marks sent the Eagles free falling down from their nest.