Improving Defense Helps Racers Hold Off Lipscomb

Saturday, December 7

CFSB Center

3 p.m.

Murray State

4-5

Lipscomb

4-5

Lipscomb

Murray St.

Photo by: Tab Brockman

12/7/2013 10:48:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

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The Murray State Racers won their second straight game Saturday with a 73-69 victory over the Lipscomb Bisons at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

The Racers won for the fourth time in five home games this season. Both teams are 4-5.

The day was one that often found the Racers taking double-digit leads and the Bisons making runs that tested MSU's poise.

The Racers answered every time.

C.J. Ford, one of six Racers in double-figure scoring, came off the bench to score a career-high 11 points and hit what was MSU's final field goal for a 64-56 lead with 3:48 left. Even though the Racers did not score a two-pointer the rest of the way, they did make 9-of-14 from the free throw line to seal the win. Lipscomb cut the MSU lead to three but had to go the length of the floor with 2.3 seconds left and a long inbounds pass was intercepted by Tyler Rambo.

Jeffery Moss led MSU with 14 points, and MSU got 11 points each from Jonathan Fairell, Cameron Payne, Dexter Fields and Ford. Jarvis Williams had his fifth double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds.

In a week where MSU wanted to turn a corner on the defensive end of the floor, they did it by holding LU to 42 percent from the field on 21-of-51. MSU was 42 percent on 23-of-55 shots. The Racers shot 60 percent from the free throw line but still made more (22-to-21) than LU did by getting there seven more times. MSU was 22-of-37 and LU was 21-of-30.

MSU won the rebound battle 41-26 and had a 15-9 edge in offensive rebounds. After Williams' 13 rebounds, Fairell hauled in eight and Ford had seven to set his career-high.

Early in the second half, MSU had a 9-0 run when Payne was fouled on a 3-point attempt and hit the free throws. Moss followed with two straight threes and MSU led 44-33 with 15:01 left.

Again the Racers made a run and went in front 54-41 on a 3-point play from Fairell and a pair of free throws from Ford with 9:17 left. After LU cut the lead to eight, MSU made another push to lead 59-49 at 6:51 on a 3-pointer by Fields.

MSU jumped to a 12-7 lead at the start of the game when they hit the Bisons with a flurry of post moves and two fast break baskets. A 6-0 run ended with Fields finishing a break at the 15:56 mark.

MSU led by 10 but missed back-to-back chances to increase the lead. LU put together an 11-2 run to cut the Racers' lead to 31-28 but, Moss ended the half with a fast break dunk with 37 seconds left and MSU took a 33-28 lead into the intermission.

Game Notes
MSU leads the all-time series with Lipscomb 3-0 as they marked their third straight season of meeting.

The Racers have won back-to-back games at home and are 4-1 this season.

MSU is 186-33 (.849) overall in 16 seasons in the CFSB Center and 77-11 (.875) against non-conference opponents.

MSU's last field goal came with 3:48 left and MSU was able to salt the game away and made 9-of-14 to end the game.

Ford came off the bench and played 22 minutes, his career-high against an NCAA D-I squad. He scored 11 points and had a career-high seven rebounds to go with two assists and one steal.

Jonathan Fariell's 11 points and eight rebounds marks his best totals in nine games as a Racer against a D-I squad.

Cameron Payne has led MSU in all nine games this season in assists and today had six.

MSU had six players in double-figure scoring for the first time against a D-I team since they did it against Tennessee State March 3, 2009 at home in an OVC Tournament quarterfinal game. Ivan Aska scored 17 points with Isaac Miles adding 15, Danero Thomas 14, Tony Easley 12, Kevin Thomas 12 and Jeff McClain 10.

Jarvis Williams's 13 rebounds gave him his fifth 10+ game this season. He has three other games with nine. His 10 points gave him his fourth double-double of the season. He started the day second in the OVC with 11.1 boards per game.

The Racers' next two opponents played each other today in Carbondale when Southern Illinois hosted Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers (5-3) and Salukis (2-7) were tied 34-34 at half, but WKU won the game 69-60.

MSU has all of next week off while Murray State wraps up the fall semester with final exams. The Racers return to the court (Dec. 17) when they host SIU and then plays in Bowling Green (Dec. 21) against Western Kentucky.