Racers Drop 66-64 Decision To Austin Peay - 25-Game Home Win Streak Ends

Saturday, January 8

CFSB Center

11:00 a.m.

Murray State

Austin Peay

Photo by: Tab Brockman

Racers Drop 66-64 Decision To Austin Peay - 25-Game Home Win Streak Ends

1/8/2011 4:00:39 PM | Men's Basketball

Boxscore

Boxscore (PDF)

The Murray State Racers saw their 25-game home winning streak end with a 66-64 loss to Austin Peay Saturday at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

The Racers (10-5) fell to 3-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference while the Govs (11-6) improved to 5-0.

MSU played inspired basketball in the final minutes but couldn't overcome a 15-point deficit with 9:36 remaining.

MSU scored back-to-back steals and layups by Jewuan Long and Isaiah Canaan to make it a 61-53 game with 7:15 left.

Canaan hit a pair of three-point baskets, the second cut the APSU lead to 65-62 with 2:30 left, making the Racers' run from the 15-point deficit 19-1.

Isacc Miles was called for a controversial flagrant foul with 1:50 remaining and an Austin Peay free throw made it a four-point Govs lead.

Canaan hit a pair of free throws to cut the lead to two with 22.1 left.

MSU got the ball back with three seconds left after a missed Govs free throw, but a long jumper B.J. Jenkins at the buzzer was short.

Miles and Canaan led the MSU attacked with 14 points each, they hit four of MSU's six three-point shots. Long came off the bench with his first double-figure scoring game of the season with 11.

MSU won the rebound battle 40-30 and 19 on the offensive glass. Ed Daniel and Ivan Aska each grabbed eight boards.

The Racers shot 42 percent from the field (24-57), while the Govs were 44 percent (23-52), but made 5-10 from three-point range, while the Racers were 5-17. The free throw line was a big factor in the game as MSU hit 11-21 for 52 percent, while APSU was 15-24 for 62.5 percent.

After leading by six early, the last part of the first half turned bad for the Racers when the Govs went on a 15-4 run to take an 11-point lead at the 1:04 mark and led 38-28 at the break.

NOTES

Next up for MSU is a trip next week to Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech. MSU plays Thursday at 7:45 p.m. at JSU and then at TTU Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Both games will be aired live on the Racer TV Network starting a half hour before the tip with the pre-game show. The games are available to subscribers of NewWave Communications, Mediacom and Comcast.

It has been a long time indeed since the Racers tasted defeat at home. The last loss was to Louisiana Tech on Feb. 21, 2009, a total of 679 days between home defeats. MSU's 18-game home win streak in OVC games also came to an end. The last loss was also to APSU on Jan. 10, 2009. MSU's 25-game home streak was the fourth-longest in the nation.

The Racers lead the all-time series with Austin Peay 69-41 and are 42-10 when playing the Govs at home.

MSU, who swept the season series with the Govs last season, gets another chance in Clarksville, Tenn., Feb. 5 in a 7:30 p.m. game.

MSU's next home stand begins Jan. 20 when MSU hosts Eastern Illinois, two days later MSU will host Southeast Missouri.

Racer senior B.J. Jenkins entered the game today ranked seventh in NCAA D-I and first in the OVC in free throw shooting. He didn't get to the line today and is still at .929 (39-42).