BLOOMINGTON — It is not certain how many members of the Indiana University men’s basketball team can identify the location of Morehead State University with a map, compass or computer, but if the Hoosiers lost to the Eagles, they never would have forgotten them.

On Tuesday night, IU came within Malik Reneau’s fingertips of a haunting nonconference defeat, instead sloppily bending a looming loss into a 69-68 whew victory at Assembly Hall.

That was after trailing by 15 points late. That was after perhaps IU’s worst half of basketball this season. When your coach says it didn’t look as if you even wanted to be there, chances are a tongue-lashing lecture is to follow.

By the way, Morehead State is located in Morehead, Kentucky, about a 240-mile drive from IU. The 8-4 Eagles of the Ohio Valley Conference came into the game on a six-game winning streak. Indiana had never lost to a current member of that league in 28 games.

It is stunning the Hoosiers did not lose this one and instead bring a record of 8-3 going into a Thursday home game versus North Alabama.

The Hoosiers were coming off a quality showing against No. 2 nationally rated Kansas, losing 75-71, last Saturday in a game they might have grabbed. A victory would have put IU into the national rankings. Then this. Just rank, not ranked.

Coach Mike Woodson and the 15,852 fans wondered when IU would wake up. Definitely not by halftime when the Hoosiers were down 36-25, didn’t pass to their strength offensively in the low post and couldn’t make 3-point jumpers or free throws.

“I’ve been preaching all year, you can be beaten by any team,” Woodson said. “Doesn’t matter who they are, if you don’t come to play. I thought at the start of the game, we were flat and we didn’t even want to be out there.”

The longer the game went, the more the Eagles smelled upset. Guard Jordan Lathon made his shots count on the way to 30 points and to a 61-46 lead with 9 minutes, 29 seconds to go. That’s when he converted a four-point play on Reneau’s fourth foul.

IU was still missing point guard Xavier Johnson, nursing a mysterious leg injury (we think since the Hoosiers are describing it like hockey as a lower body injury). Freshman Gabe Cupps has filled in but mostly has been asked to direct the offense and not shoot. This all amounts to a guard shortage on the roster.

IU relies heavily on center Kel’el Ware and Reneau daily, but they weren’t clicking with their usual efficiency. However, Anthony Walker, a transfer from Miami in Florida, was. The 6-foot-8 Walker has had to fight for minutes, but this time he earned them.

Walker scored 18 points and collected nine rebounds and made big shot after big shot as IU scrapped back into the contest, ultimately closing out the Eagles with a game-ending 20-4 run.

“Phenomenal,” Woodson said of Walker. “He deserves the MVP tonight. By far his best game since he’s been wearing an Indiana uniform.”

Certainly, this seems like an entre to more playing time for Walker. He knew he had a good game but didn’t hype himself.

“We know everyone is capable of being the most scorer or the most rebounder, whatever the case may be, in a given night,” Walker said. “Not just me being ready but everyone coming off the bench and the starters that play most of the minutes. Just being ready, making sure that coach Woody trusts me and always being ready for the moment.”

The Hoosiers did not seem ready for the moment at the opening tip, a slow-starting affliction this season against comparatively unheralded opponents. IU struggled before beating Florida Gulf Coast by six, Army by eight, Wright State by nine and now Morehead by one.

Trey Galloway, 14 points, Mackenzie Mgbako, 13, and Ware, 10, aided Walker the most on the scoreboard, but Morehead State had possession of the ball with 24.7 seconds left.

The Eagles wanted Lothan to take the last shot. IU’s defense was tight and as the clock ticked down to one second left, he tried a jumper. Reneau got a hand on the shot and misdirected the ball harmlessly away.

IU did not score many style points, but most importantly scored survival points.