Murray State
Southeast Missouri State
Racers Win Hard Fought Contest At Southeast Missouri State, 76-69
1/28/2006 6:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MSU head coach Mick Cronin said all thoughts are on getting his team ready for the OVC Tournament.
"Whenever you are Murray State, a team on top in the conference, you must know that every team is going to come after you." Cronin said. "That's all we talk about, Our guys want to be ready for the tournament and it's my job to get them ready."
Offense has been tough to come by for the Racers and that trend continued early in the game.
Trey Pearson started things off with a three pointer at the 18:53 mark, but the Racers went cold and they didn't score another field goal until Pearson hit a shot in the paint with 14:55 in the first half.
In the meantime, the Red Hawks leading scorer Roy Booker had hit a three point shot and Paul Paradoski scored after a steal for a 16-7 SEMO lead with 12:50 in the half.
However, while the Racers were 1-7 to start the game, they were holding the Red Hawks to 3-8 shooting and stayed in the game.
The Racers bounced back on baskets by Justin Orr and Issian Redding.
Redding's shot was a three pointer that cut the SEMO lead to 16-12 with 11:51 before half.
And just like flipping on a light switch, the Racers exploded for a run that hasn't been seen in a few games.
After two Booker free throws that put SEMO ahead 20-14 with 9:45 to go in the half, Darnell Hopkins made a driving leaner to make it a 20-16 SEMO lead.
After a SEMO miss, Pearson Griffith drilled a short jumper.
Booker missed a three pointer that led to a MSU fast break, Pearson hit his second three pointer of the game for the Racers first lead since the 18:52 mark at 21-20
Pearson made a steal moments later, and raced the length of the floor and was fouled on his lay up. The basket was called good. His free throw gave the Racers a 24-20 lead with 7:53 to go before half.
Griffith kept the Racers in front scoring off an inbounds play for a 29-24 MSU lead, but Booker hit a three at the 3:42 mark to cut the MSU lead to two.
Pearson was having his best half of basketball all season when scored to put the Racers up by two at the 1:53 mark.
Paradoski made a steal but missed the lay up with :40 left, Pearson grabbed the rebound and raced back for a jumper in the paint for a 35-31 MSU lead.
Pearson ended the half with 15 points on 6 of 8 shooting including 2 of 4 from the three point line.
Southeast played for the final shot and Terrick Willoughby hit a jumper at the buzzer to make it a 35-33 game in favor of the Racers at the half.
The Racers held SEMO to 29 percent shooting from the field in the first half (6-21), but the Red Hawks made it up at the free throw line making all 19 they attempted. The Racers shot 50 percent (15-30), and went to the line twice and made one.
The Racers made it to the break in big foul trouble, with Witherspoon, Hopkins, McCoy and Orr all having two each.
The Racers did not play spectacular in the first seven minutes of the second half, but they played solid on the defensive end and got some easy baskets in the paint to increase their lead to 47-42 with 13:04 remaining.
Redding grabbed an important offensive rebound at the 10:25 mark, because seconds later Hopkins drilled a three for the Racers largest lead of the game at 52-44 with 10:17 left.
Pearson Griffith scored on the Racers next possession for a 10-point MSU advantage, 54-44 with 9:00 remaining.
Hopkins made another three to put MSU up 59-48 with 7:00 left.
Southeast made an 8-2 run to get back into the game and Paradoski's three pointer cut the Racers lead to 63-57 with 4:30 left.
After a basket by Witherspoon, Willoughby's three made it a 65-60 game, but Orr answered it with his own three and the Racers lead grew again to 68-60 with 3:22 left.
Witherspoon's basket with 2:24 left put the game out of reach with the Racers leading 71-60.
The Racers move to 13-5 and 10-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 76-69 win.
The Racers ended the game shooting 55 percent from the field (31-57) including 7-18 from three point range.
MSU held Southeast Missouri to 39 percent from the field (14-44) including 8-17 from three point range.
Pearson led the way for MSU with 17, with Witherspoon adding 14, Griffith 13 and Hopkins 10.
The Racers had four players in double figures for the first time since they beat Southeast in Murray Jan. 5th.
Ray Booker lead SEMO with 26.
The Red Hawks were 27-31 from the free throw line for 87 percent, while the Racers were 7 of 10 for 70 percent.
MSU Notes:
The Racers and Red Hawks have now played 55 times. MSU holds a 40-15 edge since the series was started in 1931. MSU has won their last three trips to Cape Girardeau. The last loss for the Racers at Southeast was Jan. 18, 2003. The Racers have swept the regular season series from SEMO for the 12th time in 15 seasons.
Mick Cronin is now 57-22 in his third season, and 5-2 against Southeast Missouri.
The Racers snap a two-game losing streak away from home with the win. MSU had lost consecutive games at Samford on Dec. 21, and at Eastern Illinois Jan. 16.
The Racers return home Monday to host Samford at 7:30 p.m. at the Regional Special Events Center.
