MSU Drops 79-70 Decision At Eastern Illinois

Saturday, February 16

Charleston, Ill.

6 p.m.

Murray State

18-7 (9-4OVC)

Eastern Illinois

8-19 (5-9OVC)

Team	1	2	F
Murray State	26	44	70
Eastern Illinois	31	48	79

Photo by: Sandi King-EIU Athletics

2/16/2013 7:12:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

Box Score I Box Score(PDF)

The Murray State Racers saw their late comeback bid fall short for a second time this week in a 79-70 loss to Eastern Illinois at Lantz Arena in Charleston, Ill.

MSU fell to18-7 overall and 9-4 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Trailing EIU the entire second half, MSU made a push and cut the EIU lead to 66-64 with 2:41 remaining. MSU nearly erased a 12-point deficit at the 17:42 mark by making a three-point basket in six straight possessions.

MSU could never draw any closer and get a possession with a chance to tie the game as the Panthers (8-19, 5-9) closed the game on a 13-6 run for the 79-70 final.

The Racers ended the game taking a school-record 39 three-point shots surpassing the old mark of 35 from 1998 against IU Southeast. MSU's 15 made threes on the night was just off the school-record 17 MSU hit against Campbellsville in 1994.

Stacy Wilson led the way for MSU with 20 points that included a 6-of-12 night from three-point range. Dexter Fields added 14 points, while Isaiah Canaan added 12 and Jeffery Moss 11.

MSU trailed early in the first half 12-5 but made an 8-2 run with the help of two three-point baskets from Wilson and Moss to take a 22-20 lead 4:46 before the half. That was MSU's final lead of the game when EIU closed the half on an 11-4 run to lead 31-26 the break.

The Racers ended the game shooting 42 percent from the field (25-of-60) and 39 percent (15-of-39) from three-point range. EIU was 24-of-43 from the field for 56 percent and 7-of-12 from three-point range for 58 percent.

After losing Thursday on the road at SIUE 65-60, the Racers play their third and final game of their road trip Wednesday at Morehead State. Tip time is 6 p.m. from Johnson Arena in Morehead, Ky., as MSU can clinch the top seed out of the OVC's west division with a win. Racer Radio can be heard on WFGE 103.7 FM and online on Froggy 103.com and GoRacers.com. The Racer TV Network, ESPN3 and the OVC Digital Network will also air the game.