RICHMOND, Ind. -- After playing their final home game of the regular season on Thursday, the Midway men's basketball team hit the road for the final time in the regular season on Saturday when they traveled to IU East (Ind.) for a River States Conference matchup.

The Eagles would take a 30-28 lead into the locker room, but they struggled in the second half and got outscored 52-35 as the Red Wolves cruised to the 80-65 victory.

With the loss, Joe Krupinski's squad finishes the regular season with a 16-11 mark overall and an 11-7 record in RSC play. IU East, meanwhile, heads into the postseason with a 15-13 record overall and a 9-9 mark in league play.

The first half was a struggle for both teams offensively as neither shot 40 percent. The Eagles couldn't get anything to drop as they shot just 30.8 percent from the floor, but it was their defensive effort that helped they take a two-point lead at intermission.

Midway forced the Red Wolves into eight first half turnovers and held them to 37.9 percent for the half. The Red Wolves did, however, get off to a great start as they sprinted to a 15-4 lead less than seven minutes into the game.

Trailing 20-9, TJ O'Connor (Miami, Fla.) scored five straight points and Cam Miller (Raleigh, N.C.) followed with back-to-back buckets before a layup by Donnie Miller (Newport, Ky.) capped an 11-0 run that tied the game at 20 with just over eight minutes left in the half.

Miller – who scored 11 points in the first half – later hit a triple that would give Midway a 30-28 lead heading into the locker room.

Tobias Thompson (Louisville, Ky.) got off to a terrific start in the second half scoring six straight points and giving Midway a 36-32 lead less than four minutes in.

After Midway stayed within striking distance, the Red Wolves soon added to their lead going on a 12-3 run that saw them take a 60-49 lead. IU East would lead by as many as 16 down the stretch as they pulled away for the 80-65 victory.

Donnie Miller led the Eagles with 25 points, five steals, and four assists. TJ O'Connor added 13 points in 18 minutes off the bench, while Tobias Thompson and Cam Miller chipped in eight and seven points, respectively.

IU East shot 55.2 percent from the floor in the second half and finished the game with a 47.4 percent shooting clip. Midway, meanwhile, shot just 35.8 percent from the field.

The Blue and Gold will now turn their attention to the River States Conference Tournament which gets underway next week at various campus sites across the league.

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