Racers Advance to OVC Championship Game With Victory Over EKU

Friday, March 8

Nashville, TN

8 p.m.

Murray State

21-9

Eastern Kentucky

24-9

Eastern Ky.

Murray State

Photo by: Tab Brockman

Racers Advance to OVC Championship Game With Victory Over EKU

3/8/2013 10:53:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

| Box Score (.pdf) | Photo Gallery

The Murray State Racers earned a spot in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship game with an 81-73 win over Eastern Kentucky in the semifinals at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tenn., on Friday night.

MSU moved their mark this season to 21-9 as they met EKU (24-9) in the OVC Tournament for the first time since 1995.

The Racers meet the Belmont Bruins in the OVC Tournament title tilt Saturday at 6 p.m. CT with the winner getting the OVC's spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Isaiah Canaan led the way for MSU with game-high 29 points on 10-of-19 shooting, and added six assists as he also zoomed past the 2,000 points mark for his career. Stacy Wilson added 17 points and Brandon Garrett had a gritty 11 points, on 5-of-7 shooting and six rebounds.

Trailing 51-50 with 14:08 remaining, the Racers locked down the Colonels and scored the knockout blow, scoring 11 straight points and going on a 16-2 run over the next 5:41.

Latreze Mushatt made a steal that led to an easy hoop for Garrett and Mushatt followed with a driving slam for a 57-51 lead that ignited the pro-Racer crowd.

Wilson scored on a fast break and Canaan added a corner three and MSU led by 11 with 8:48 left when Garrett made a pair of free throws with 8:15 to go, the Racers had their largest lead of the day at 66-53.

The Colonels made a run and got as close as 69-65 with 3:37 left, but the Racers opened it back up with a 7-0 run and advanced to the OVC final.

The early part of the game saw the two teams trade hoops before MSU went in front on a pull-up jumper by Canaan for a 15-14 lead at the 14:04 mark. MSU led 26-19 on a post-up score by Garrett at 8:20, but EKU answered with a 10-3 run to take the lead back 27-26 at 6:06. Canaan hit his first three of the game for a two-point lead with 2:57 left. MSU's final basket of the half came at 1:42 when Dexter Fields drove the baseline, but EKU closed the half scoring with four seconds left to make it a 38-38 game at the break. The first half featured 12 lead changes.

With his first basket at the 16:20 mark of the first half on a strip and score, Canaan became the sixth member of the MSU 2,000-Point Club and the 17^thto do it in the OVC.

Game Notes
The Racers shot a season-best 58 percent (29-for-50) in the victory. MSU's previous best was a 54 percent day at Evansville (Dec. 8) in an 82-70 win when they were 32-of-59. This was the sixth time this season MSU shot better than 50 percent from the floor.

MSU also set a season-high with 20 assists besting the 19 they had against Bethel (Dec. 4.

MSU's eight turnovers tied their season-low that they had against WKU (Dec. 16) and Belmont (Feb. 7).

With the win the Racers are 22-13 all-time in the OVC Tournament semifinals and have won 3-of-4.

The Racers are in the OVC Tournament championship game for the third time in the last four years and eight of the last 15.

MSU is 15-9 all-time in OVC Tournament title games and has won the last five times they've been there in 2001 over Tennessee Tech, 2004 over Austin Peay, 2006 over Samford, 2010 over Morehead State and 2012 over Tennessee State. The last time MSU made the OVC title game and lost was in 2000 to Southeast Missouri State.

With a win, MSU Head Coach Steve Prohm can become the third Racer coach to win the OVC Tournament in his first two seasons. Scott Edgar did it in 1995 & 1996, while Tevester Anderson accomplished it in 1998-99.

Canaan's 29 points gives him 2,028 points which places him fifth all-time at MSU. Canaan passed the great Howie Crittenden (1952-56) who had 2,019 points and is the only MSU player with 2,000 points that did it without the three-point shot.

Canaan also went over the 300 mark in three-point baskets. His three made threes tonight gives him 302 at MSU. Already the MSU all-time leader, Canaan is behind the OVC all-time leader Joe Sibbitt (1994-98) who has 319.

The Racers meet Belmont in the title game on Saturday after the Bruins knocked off Tennessee State in today's first semifinal game 82-73. MSU leads the all-time series with BU 5-1 after winning this season's only meeting in Murray, Ky. (Feb. 7) 79-74.