PDF Box | Photo Gallery (by
Sandy King)
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Murray State held Eastern Illinois without a field goal for nearly six minutes late in the game as the Racers beat the Panthers, 83-72, on Thursday night in Lantz Arena.
Murray State improved to 9-9 overall, 3-1 in the OVC. EIU dropped to 9-8 overall, 1-3 in the OVC. EIU will host Austin Peay on American Sports Network at 11 a.m. on Saturday morning.
Casey Teson drained a 3-pointer with 7:19 to play in the game that gave EIU a 65-64 lead. The Panthers next field goal would come with 1:20 remaining on a follow-up dunk by
Muusa Dama as the junior forward had 12 of his 15 points in the second half.
In between the two EIU field goals, Murray State scored ten straight points as their 10-1 run gave the Racers a 74-66 lead on a free throw by Jonathan Stark with 1:32 to play. Stark and Terrell Miller both had 3-pointers for Murray State during the run. Miller finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds. Stark was one of two Racers with 17 points.
Bryce Jones also chipped in 17 points going 9-of-9 at the foul line as Murray State was 19-fo-24 from the stripe in the second half. The Racers scored their final seven points of the game from the foul line as EIU was unable to get closer than six points in the final minute.
Ray Crossland had two baskets in the final minute to account for EIU's final two field goals. Crossland scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half.
EIU jumped out to an early lead behind the hot shooting of
Montell Goodwin who finished with 14 points, all in the first 11 minutes of the game as the Panthers built a 27-18 lead on Goodwin's final bucket with 9:06 to play in the first.
MSU slowly cut into the EIU tying the game on a Stark 3-pointer with 3:19 to play in the first half and taking a three point lead on a lay-up by Brion Sanchious. Murray State lead 41-39 at the half.
Murray State finished with a 46-33 rebound advantage which the Racers converted into 18 second chance points. Dama had nine rebounds to lead EIU while Crossland pulled down eight.