Jaron Jones scored 24 points and Eastern Kentucky withstood Tennessee State's second-half surge for a 73-68 victory on Saturday in an Ohio Valley Conference game.
Eastern Kentucky (9-6, 3-0) led 11-10 when the Colonels went on a 17-0 run to lead 28-10. That was mainly fueled by Jones, who shot 9 for 12 from the field for the game, and D'Mitri Riggs, who finished with 16 points. At halftime, Tennessee State trailed 41-17.
The Tigers (8-7, 1-1) mounted a comeback behind Robert Covington, who had a double-double with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Patrick Miller scored 15 points and Wil Peters 10.
It was Miller, during a late second-half rally, whose layup cut it to 70-66 with 38 seconds left. But Eastern Kentucky closed it out at the foul line, where it had a decisive edge. The Colonels went 15-for-23 at the line, Tennessee State 9-for-13.
