Murray State University Athletics
Murray State
Wagner
Racers Use 24-0 Run To Take Care Of Wagner 92-68 In Season-Opener
11/22/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
The Murray State men's basketball team used a 24-0 run in the second half to turn a close game into a blowout as the Racers opened the Mick Cronin era with an impressive 92-68 win over Wagner in an opening round game of the Pittsburgh Holiday Classic in front of 3,929 fans at the Regional Special Events Center in Murray, Ky.
Junior guard Adam Chiles led five Racers scoring in double-figures with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field while adding five assists in 23 minutes. Junior forward Kelvin Brown scored 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting, while senior forward Cuthbert Victor added 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists.
Senior forward Chris Shumate chipped in with 11 points and senior guard Kevin Paschel added 10. Senior guard Courtney Pritchard led the Seahawks with 24 points.
MSU held a slim 41-40 lead at the half, and after Wagner pulled to within two at 49-47 with 15:57 left in the half, the Racers used a 24-0 run over the next 5 minutes, 37 seconds to blow the game open at 73-47.
Brown scored seven points during the decisive run, while Paschel and senior guard Rick Jones added five points each.
The Racers' scrapping full-court pressure held the Seahawks without a made field goal over a span of 9:50 in the second half. MSU turned 25 Wagner turnovers into 28 points, and the Racers outscored the Seahawks 40-16 in the paint.
Overall, MSU finished 37-of-66 from the field for 56.1-percent, while holding Wagner to just 44.9-percent on 22-of-49. In the second half, the Racers made more shots from the field (22) than the Seahawks attempted (20).
MSU's largest the lead of the night was 30 at 89-59 after a fast break dunk by Chiles.
The win is the first for head coach Mick Cronin who was hired as the Racers' 13th head coach in April.
Up next, the Racers host West Florida on Monday, Nov. 24 at 7:15 p.m. at the Regional Special Events Center.
POST-GAME COMMENTS
MSU head coach Mick Cronin:
"It feels great to win your first game, and I'm proud of our guys for the way they played, especially in the second half. But personally, it feels great to get my first win. I was really worried early on because I had some family here and my dad would've gotten on me. He would've wondered what we were practicing a month for if we played like that."
"We make it interesting don't we? We played a well-prepared, talented team who had a great plan against our press. They got the ball in bounds so fast that we couldn't set up our press. Once we adjusted in the second half, we had some success."
"I'm pleased with our ability to rally. We got stronger as the game went on, which is what you're looking for. We practice that way."
"We let him (Pritchard) get his confidence in the first half and we couldn't stop him. If you pressure him, he drives by you and if you lay off, he knocks down the three. But we did a better job of denying him the basketball in the second half and a lot of the credit goes to Kevin Paschel."
"I'm elated with our crowd, particularly the students. I have been visiting frats and sororities, and we've been pushing for a big student turnout, so we had to deliver...they did. They turned out tonight, got into the game, and were a huge factor."
Senior Cuthbert Victor:
"This was fun tonight, I'm not going to lie. Last year we had some good games and it was fun at times, but in this style everyone gets involved and plays together."
