Racers Hit 13 Three-Point Baskets In 92-75 Win Over UT Martin

Saturday, January 29

CFSB Center

7:30 p.m.

Murray State

UT Martin

Photo by: Tab Brockman

Racers Hit 13 Three-Point Baskets In 92-75 Win Over UT Martin

1/29/2011 11:03:39 PM | Men's Basketball

Boxscore

Boxscore(PDF)

Photo Gallery

The Murray State Racers rode a hot-shooting first half to a 92-75 win over UT Martin in front of 5,061 at the CFSB Center Saturday night.

The Racers hit 11-of-12 from three-point range in the opening half which propelled them to their fourth 50-point half of the season as MSU pushed their mark to 7-3 in the Ohio Valley Conference which moved them into second place and 15-6 overall.

MSU got going with a pair of steals that led to an Ed Daniel dunk and a three from B.J. Jenkins for a 17-7 lead with 13:30 before half. Isaiah Canaan entered the game and hit a pair of three-pointers and the Racers had a 31-15 lead at 9:25.

MSU ended the half in front 53-31 after Donte Poole came off the bench and hit a three giving MSU 11 bombs for the half.

The Racers built a 25-point lead with 9:34 remaining and won for the third straight time at home.

Canaan became MSU's first 20-point scorer with 24 points and he also tied the MSU single-game mark going 6-of-6 from the three-point line. His 24 points was also his career-high. Miles scored 19, while MSU got 11 each from Jenkins and Poole. MSU has 10 different players make the scoring column.

MSU had a season-high 20 assists and a fourth-straight game with double-digit steals with 10.

The win moved the Racers into second place in the OVC at 7-3, just a half game behind leader Austin Peay who lost 70-58 at Morehead State. Tennessee State lost 86-72 at Eastern Kentucky and is in third place at 7-4. MSU plays at TSU Thursday and at APSU Saturday next week.

NOTES

Isaiah Canaan's 6-of-6 night from three-point range tied the MSU single-game mark set by Darnell Hopkins against Eastern Illinois on Jan. 9, 2006.

MSU's 20 assists topped the previous season-best of 19 against SEMO (Jan. 22).

Jewuan Long made his first start of the season and the second of his career and responded with a career-high six assists.

Canaan's 24 points bested his previous career-high of 22 against Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 27, 2010. His game also meant MSU had a 20-point scorer for the first time this season, the last in NCAA D-I.

The Racers had 10 steals against the Skyhawks tonight which marks their fourth straight game with double-digit steals. MSU has 10 such games this season and had 20 last season.

The Racers had a hot start behind the three-point line and hit 11 of their first 11 attempts and finished with 13-of-18, their most since Mar. 2, 2004 when they had 13 against Tennessee Tech. The MSU record of 17 from 1994 against Campbellsville still stands.

MSU's 51-point first half was their fourth 50-point half of the season. Of the previous three, one was in the first half against Southeast Missouri (Jan. 22). The other two were in the second half against EKU (Dec. 2) and Bethel (Dec. 15).

MSU Head Coach Billy Kennedy is now one win from having 100 in his five-season career with the Racers. After today's win he is 99-50 (.664). When win 100 comes, Kennedy will be the seventh coach in MSU history to reach the 100-win plateau following Carlisle Cutchin (1924-41) 267, Cal Luther (1959-74) 241, Tevester Anderson (1998-03) 155, Ron Greene (1978-85), Steve Newton (1985-91) 116 and Harlan Hodges (1948-54) 109.

With the win, the Racers moved their mark in the CFSB Center to 154-27 (.850) and 94-18 (.839) against OVC teams. UT Martin is 0-21 all-time at MSU. Billy Kennedy's Racers are 23-2 at home in the last two seasons.