Racers Win 73-65 At Chattanooga - Aska Gets Double-Double

Saturday, December 11

Chattanooga, Tenn.

2 p.m.

Murray State

Chattanooga

Photo by: Murray State Sports Information

Racers Win 73-65 At Chattanooga - Aska Gets Double-Double

12/11/2010 4:35:43 PM | Men's Basketball

Boxscore

Boxscore (PDF)

The Murray State Racers used a positive first half performance in earning a 73-65 win Saturday over Chattanooga in the McKenzie Arena in Chattanooga, Tenn.

The Racers' 15-point lead at half was whittled to 54-50 with 8:13 remaining, but MSU was able to hold the Mocs at bay by hitting 9-10 free throws in the final 3:30.

Ivan Aska, who did not start for the first time this season, came off the bench to get MSU's first double-double of the season with 17 points and 12 rebounds. He was 6-9 from the field and perfect from the free throw line in five tries.

MSU had nine different players scratch the scoring column with four in double figures. After Aska, MSU got 12 points from Isaiah Canaan, 11 from Isacc Miles and 10 from B.J. Jenkins.

If MSU's first half performance wasn't their best 20-minutes of the season, it was one the best certainly.

MSU shot 61 percent from the field on 19-21 shots, while holding the Mocs to 10-24 for 41 percent.

The Racers jumped in front 24-13 at the 8:40 mark on a feed from Jenkins to Ed Daniel, who made his first start of the season in Aska's place. Daniel scored four points and grabbed three rebounds along with a steal and a blocked shot.

MSU grew their lead to 40-21 at the 3:53 mark on a Miles three-pointer and settled for a 45-30 lead at the break.

NOTES

B.J. Jenkins, who came into the game seventh in the nation in free throw shooting, got his streak to 21 straight made shots when he missed with :23 left in the game. Still Jenkins is a remarkable 93 percent so far this season making 29-31 from the line.

Ivan Aska's 17 point-12 rebound effort is MSU's first double-double this season and the first for MSU since he turned in a similar game last December at ETSU with 17 and 14.

The win for MSU was a program first at Chattanooga after losses there in 2001 and 2007.

Next up for the Racers is a Wednesday home game at the CFSB Center against Bethel which marks the first home game since Nov. 20. MSU also meets rival Western Kentucky at home next Saturday in the 149^th game in their series that dates back to 1934.

The Racers have carry a 21-game home winning streak into the Bethel Game.