Murray State Runs Past Morgan State 80-69

Monday, November 14

Baltimore, Md.

6 p.m.

Murray State

Morgan State

Photo by: Carroll Smith/Morgan State Athletics

11/14/2011 6:15:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Boxscore I Boxscore PDF

The Murray State Racers scored their first road win of the 2011-12 season Monday with an 80-69 win at Morgan State in Hill Field House in Baltimore, Md.

The Racers never trailed in moving their record to 2-0 and got big games from Isaiah Canaan with 23 points and Ivan Aska, who had 21 points and 10 rebounds.

“I'm so proud of Ivan Aska, he was great out there tonight,” Murray State head coach Steve Prohm said. “His effort was great and he was locked in.”

In the first half, MSU quickly built a 9-4 lead on a long jumper by Canaan.

MSU had its first double-digit lead at the 6:44 mark when Canaan hit back-to-back threes for a 32-22 lead.

The Racers ended the half by taking advantage of a Bears missed dunk with five-seconds remaining. Jewuan Long picked up the loose ball and hit a three-point basket as time expired for the Racers' largest lead of the half at 45-32.

The Bears made a run at the start of the second half and cut the Racer lead to eight points at the 5:22 mark. This after Murray State had gotten the lead to as much as 18 at 52-34 when Canaan was fouled on a three and made all the free throws with 17:31 left.

The Racers were able to hold off the Bears with a three-pointer from Donte Poole and a basket by Aska for a 73-58 lead with 3:03 left.

“The first five minutes of the second half was very important,” Prohm said. “We got up by 18, and then couldn't score, but Ivan was still attacking the basket. All of our guys fought and competed tonight against a team that was much taller than us. Also, when you can go on the road and cause 27 turnovers that means our ball pressure was good and we were getting in the passing lanes.”

After Canaan's 23 points and Aska's 21, the Racers also received significant contributions from Jewuan Long with 14 and Poole with 10. Brandon Garrett came off the bench to add eight points and six rebounds, while Zay Jackson grabbed five rebounds.

Murray State was outstanding from the free throw line and made their first 21 and finished the game making 32-of-37 (.865), while the home team was 15-of-28 (.536).

Game Notes

For a long while in this game, the Racers flirted with two long-standing team free throw records. They made 21 straight before they missed. The MSU record for consecutive free throws in a single game is 27 against Youngstown State in 1988. The best percentage for a single game is 24-of-24 by the Racers from 1966 against Austin Peay.

MSU senior Ivan Aska moved closer to becoming the 37^th member of the MSU 1000-Point Club. After 21 points tonight, Aska has 970. Junior Isaiah Canaan scored 23 tonight and is at 771.

Through two games of the 2011-12 season, 80 minutes, the Racers have yet to trail on the scoreboard.

The Racers' next challenge is a home game Thursday with Tennessee Temple at the CFSB Center at 7:30 p.m. The game tips after the Racer women's team hosts Mid-Continent at 5:15 p.m.

After Thursday's home game, the Racers hit the road for an extended period and won't return to play a home game until (Dec. 4) against Dayton. MSU plays Sunday at 3 p.m. in Birmingham, Ala., against UAB, and then travels to Anchorage for the Great Alaska Shootout where they'll play three games during Thanksgiving week.