Kennedy Gets 100th Win - Daniel Scores 21 - MSU Beats TSU 74-65

Thursday, February 3

Nashville, Tenn.

8 p.m.

Murray State

Tennessee State

Photo by: Sam Jordan/TSU Athletics

Kennedy Gets 100th Win - Daniel Scores 21 - MSU Beats TSU 74-65

2/3/2011 8:30:18 PM | Men's Basketball

Boxscore

Boxscore(PDF)

The Murray State Racers slugged out a 74-65 win Thursday against Tennessee State in a key Ohio Valley Conference game at the Gentry Center in Nashville, Tenn., and gave head coach Billy Kennedy his 100^th win at MSU.

The Racers did it for their coach showing tremendous toughness and fight against a very determined opponent.

After carrying a 30-28 lead into the half, MSU pushed out to a four-point lead with 15:40 remaining on a basket by Ed Daniel who had a career-high 21 points.

The Racers needed a spark and they got it with two outstanding plays on defense.

Isaiah Canaan drew a charge and B.J. Jenkins converted with a short runner and the next trip saw Daniel block a shot that led to a Donte Poole finish and MSU jumped in front with their biggest lead of the game at 63-53 with 7:30 remaining.

The Racers held the Tigers without a field goal from the 9:56 mark to 3:56 when Robert Covington hit a three, but MSU still led 65-58.

With 3:02 left with a seven-point lead, the Racers had another big defensive stand when Daniel blocked another shot which led to Jewuan Long drawing another offensive charge.

Daniel's 21 points came on 8-of-10 shots from the field and he was perfect from the free throw line in five attempts.

Isacc Miles tossed in 13 points, with the Racers getting 11 from Canaan and 10 from B.J. Jenkins.

MSU won the battle of the boards 38-27 and made 51 percent from the field including a red-hot 16-of-27 for nearly 60 percent in the second half.

MSU moved to 8-3 in OVC play setting up a Saturday game at Austin Peay who moved to 9-3 in the league with an 82-53 win over UT Martin. The two meet at the Dunn Center in a 7:30 p.m. tip in Clarksville, Tenn., on the Racer TV Network.

NOTES

Coach Billy Kennedy joined a select group of seven MSU coaches who have recorded 100 wins with the Racers. Kennedy is 100-50 (.666) and 204-176 (.536) in 13 seasons as a head coach.

MSU leads the all-time series with TSU 46-15 and are now 20-7 in the Gentry Center and have won three straight since their last loss in 2008. MSU has won the last eight overall.

The Racers are now 13-2 this season when leading at the half. They were up tonight 30-28.

Ed Daniel set his career high with 21 points blowing past the 13 he scored against Southeast Missouri on Jan. 22

After going the first 20 games without a 20-point scorer, MSU has had one in the last two games with Canaan's 24 last Saturday against UT Martin and Daniel's 21 tonight.