Murray State University Athletics
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RACERS ARE GOING DANCIN', MSU WINS OVC TOURNAMENT!!!
3/4/2006 9:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Murray State University claimed its 13th Ohio Valley Conference Tournament Championship with a 74-57 win over Samford University today in Nashville, Tenn. The Racers earn the OVC's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, their 13th appearance in the ?Big Dance.'
Midway through the second half Murray State (24-6) broke open a game that had been a back and forth affair until that point. The Racers used a 16-4 run to turn a two-point lead into a 62-48 advantage.
The tournament's MVP, Pearson Griffith, and Tyler Holloway scored all 16 points during the run. Griffith started things with a free throw and Holloway followed with a three-pointer to push MSU in front 50-44 with 10:44 left in the game.
After a pair of Samford (20-11) free throws, Holloway extended the lead to six points with a driving lay up. After a bucket by the Bulldogs' Travis Peterson trimmed it back to four, Griffith sandwiched a pair of baskets around back-to-back three-pointers from Holloway for 10 straight points.
Griffith's second bucket capped the 16-4 run and had the Racers out in front by 14, 62-48, with 4:35 left in the game.
Samford drew to within eight points twice, the second coming on J. Robert Merritt's three-pointer with just 1:59 remaining in the game. MSU connected on seven-of-10 free throws in the final two minutes to seal the victory and a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
After making 46.2 percent of its first half shots, Samford made just eight-of-34 in the second stanza for 23.5 percent. The Racers heated up in the second half. After shooting a sound 48 percent in the first half, Murray State made 14-of-24 attempts from the field in the final 20 minutes for 58.3 percent.
The Racers outscored the Bulldogs 42-24 in the second half.
In the first half, Darnell Hopkins hit back to back baskets and gave the Racers a 7-6 lead almost two minutes into the contest.
At the 17:17 mark Shawn Witherspoon hit a three for MSU, and Samford's J. Robert Merritt answered and the Racers were ahead by one.
Merritt hit back to back three pointers for a 15-11 Samford advantage at the 15:19 mark of the half.
The Racers then put together a 9-0 run that put them ahead 20-15 with 12:40 in the half.
Trey Pearson hit a tough shot in the paint, followed with a three pointer, and then a hook shot in the paint on an inbounds play.
At 8:51, Curtis West gave the Bulldogs a 25-22 lead on a three, but Samford went cold and missed their next 10 shots and did not score again until a Travis Peterson dunk with 4:09 in the half.
In between the Racers weren't burning up the nets either but did get a three from Pearson and a put-back from Rob Kennedy.
The half ended with Orr hitting from the free throw line with 55 seconds left and the Racers trailed by one.
Joe Ross Merritt missed the front end of the bonus with 25.1 left and Keith Jenifer missed a shot in the paint at the buzzer. Samford held the lead at half 33-32.
MSU hit four-of-nine from three point range in the first half, the Bulldogs were six-of-14. MSU had a decisive edge in rebounding 21-11.
Pearson Griffith picked up his second personal foul with 14:53 in the half and did not return until the second half. Samford's Peterson was able to operate much better in Griffith's absence and scored 13 points on six-of-nine first-half shooting.
The Racers opened the second half on a 12-2 run.
Griffith scored immediately inside for a 34-33 edge.
Hopkins hit a jumper outside the lane for a 36-33 advantage.
At the 16:38 mark Jenifer drained a three after MSU had crashed the boards for three offensive rebounds.
Randall Gulina drove into Griffith moments later and had his shot rejected.
Griffith grabbed the rebound and was fouled, his shot counted and he made the free throw for a 42-25 MSU lead with 15:35 left.
Samford had handled the Racers pressure in fine fashion to this point, but after Pearson's free throw, Pearson picked off the Samford inbounds pass and scored to put MSU up 44-35 with 15:23 left.
Merritt, the OVC's Player of the Year earned the award for good reason and he showed it after the Racers had taken the nine point lead.
Merritt hit three straight three pointers and cut the MSU lead to 46-44 with 11:35 left. Murray State started its decisive run at that point.
Merritt finished with 26 points on eight-of-19 shooting from the field. All his field goals were three-pointers, going eight-of-17 from beyond the arch.
Pearson led MSU with 15 points. Holloway added 13. Witherspoon finished with 14 rebounds to go along with his nine points. Murray State out-rebounded the Bulldogs 45-29.
MSU Notes:
The Racers are playing their 12th OVC Tournament game in the Gaylord Entertainment Center. The win over JSU snapped a three-game losing streak for MSU in the GEC in OVC Tourney games. MSU's previous win was in 2000 when they defeated Eastern Illinois in the semi-finals. MSU is now 8-3 in OVC Tournament games in the GEC.
MSU has now won 13 OVC Tournament titles in 22 appearances. Here are all of the MSU title games and results:
1951 Won Eastern Ky. 92-60
1952 Lost Western Ky. 47-45
1955 Lost Eastern Ky. 76-59
1964 Won Western Ky. 77-68
1967 Lost Tenn. Tech 67-60
1980 2MSU Lost 1Western Ky. 54-51
1981 2MSU Lost 1Western Ky. 71-67
1988 1MSU Won 3Austin Peay 73-70
1990 1MSU Won 4Eastern Ky. 64-57
1991 1MSU Won 5Middle Tenn. 79-67
1992 1MSU Won 2Eastern Ky. 81-60
1993 3MSU Lost 1Tennessee St. 82-68
1994 1MSU Lost 2Tennessee St. 73-72
1995 2MSU Won 5Austin Peay 92-84
1996 1MSU Lost 3Austin Peay 70-68
1997 #2MSU Won 1Austin Peay 88-85
1998 1MSU Won 7Tennessee St. 92-69
1999 1MSU Won 2SE Missouri 62-61
2000 1MSU Lost 2SE Missouri 67-56
2002 4MSU Won 3Tenn. Tech 70-69
2004 2MSU Won 1Austin Peay 66-60
2006 1MSU 2Samford
# MSU won in overtime.
Note: The OVC did not have a post-season tournament from 1956 through 1963 and from 1968 through 1974.
MSU OVC Tournament MVP's
2005 Pearson Griffith
2004 Cuthbert Victor
2002 Justin Burdine
1999 Aubrey Reese
1998 Chad Townsend
1997 Chad Townsend
1995 Marcus Brown
1992 Popeye Jones
1991 Popeye Jones
1990 Popeye Jones
1988 Jeff Martin
1981 Lamont Sleets
The OVC began choosing a MVP in 1975
The Racers trailed at the half for only the 6th time this season, but came back to win. MSU is now 3-3 when trailing at half and 19-26 in the Cronin era.
