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MURRAY, Ky. – A barrage of 3-pointers by Murray State in the second half helped the Racers pull away from Eastern Illinois, 70-49, on Thursday night in the CFSB Center.

MSU improved to 13-4 overall, 4-1 in the OVC.  EIU dropped to 3-16, 0-6 in the OVC.  The Panthers play on Saturday night at Austin Peay with a 7:30 p.m. start

With Murray State leading 27-24 at the half, Eastern Illinois tied the game at 31-31 with 17:33 left to play as Sherman Blanford hit a jumper and then had a lay-up off a steal.

The Racers then hit six straight 3-pointers to open up the game.  Dexter Fields knocked down three of them as he finished with 12 points.  MSU's lead hit double figures with Fields third 3-pointer in the run.  MSU was 9-of-12 from 3-point range in the second half and 11-of-25 for the game.  Isaiah Canaan was 5-of-10 from 3-point range finishing with 17 points.

Josh Piper had six points for the Panthers during the MSU run.  MSU's lead in the run was as high as 16 points on a 3-pointer by Jeffrey Moss at 12:03.  Morris Woods scored five straight to cut margin back to ten points at 52-42 with 9:34 to play.  Woods had eight points for EIU.   MSU answered with a Canaan 3-pointer to turn away any possible EIU comeback. 

MSU opened with the inside play of Ed Daniel as the Racers opened with a 7-0 run.  Daniel scored four points from the free throw line to go with a 3-pointer by Canaan.  Blanford got EIU on the board with a bucket at 15:30 before Stacy Wilson extended Murray State's lead to 10-2 with a 3-pointer at 15:04.

Daniel picked up his second foul with 14:28 to play in the first that opened up the inside game for the Panthers as Austin Akers sank a pair of free throws following the foul.  After the teams traded baskets EIU responded with an 11-0 run that gave the Panthers an 18-14 lead with 7:37 to play.  Taylor Jones tied the game with a 3-pointer at 10:21 and gave EIU its first lead at 16-14 with a jumper at the free throw line at 9:09.  Jones had eight points.

Daniel checked back into the game at 6:41 as Latreze Mushatt ended a nearly six minute scoreless span by MSU at 6:31.  A Daniel dunk put MSU back in the lead with 3:35 to play.  The teams traded baskets in the final minutes before Mushatt sank a pair of free throws with one second remaining to put MSU up 27-24 at the half.

Eastern Illinois committed only one turnover in the first half to go along with eight assists.  EIU finished the game with 17 assists and eight turnovers.    Akers had five assists and no turnovers.  Piper and Blanford both had 11 points for EIU.