Racers Grind Out 5th Straight Win

Thursday, January 16

Charleston, Ill.

7 p.m.

Murray State

10-7 (5-0OVC)

Eastern Illinois

5-12 (2-4OVC)

Murray State

Eastern Illinois

Photo by: Ricky Martin/Ledger & Times

1/16/2014 10:31:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

I Box Score(PDF) I Coach Prohm Radio

The Murray State Racers ran their winning streak to five straight with a 70-66 victory over the Eastern Illinois Panthers at Lantz Arena in Charleston, Ill.

The Racers (10-7) stayed perfect at the start of the Ohio Valley Conference Season at 5-0.

Cameron Payne scored 21 points, while T.J. Sapp added 20 and Jonathan Fairell grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds as MSU won a second straight road game.

But it wasn't easy for the Racers battling a determined home standing EIU Panthers' squad that led from the opening tip until the 9:44 mark of the second half.

Trailing 36-28 at half, EIU led by eight points with 16:16 remaining in the game when the Racers got their game straight with a 16-7 run. The MSU comeback was fueled by back-to-back plays by Payne who scored a three-point play and then added a 3-point basket to cut the Panthers lead to 41-39 with 14:19 left. With Jarvis Williams and Jonathan Fairell battling foul problems (Williams fouled out with 9:47 remaining) Zay Henderson came off the bench and helped the MSU cause with three rebounds, one assist and a blocked shot that led to a Sapp fast break that Tyler Rambo finished for a 51-48 lead at 9:17.

The Racers kept the pressure on when Sapp hit a 3-pointer for a 54-48 lead with 8:35 left.

The Panthers rallied on two baskets from Luke Piotrowski to take a 59-57 lead at 4:03, but MSU took the lead for good when Dexter Fields hit a pair from the free throw line for a one point lead with 3:47 left.

The game was still up for grabs inside 30 seconds on the clock when Payne nailed his third three of the game with 19 seconds left for a 66-62 lead.

Payne and Sapp each made a pair from the line and EIU's Dylan Chatman hit a jumper at the buzzer to settle the final at 70-66.

The Racers overcame a night when they struggled from the field going 20-of-54 for 37 percent, although MSU did pick up the pace in shooting 43 percent in the second half. EIU shot 31 percent for the game on 21-of-68, but were held to 8-of-32 in the second half for 25 percent.

MSU stays in Illinois this weekend to play at SIU Edwardsville. The Saturday game at the Vadalabene Center in Edwardsville, Ill., is at 1 p.m.

Game Notes
The Racers continued their excellent shooting from the line in OVC play. They were 23-of-29 for 79 percent. In five OVC games, MSU is 119-of-161 for 73 percent.

Fairell's 14 rebounds set his career-best at MSU. He had 11 rebounds against Bethel (Nov. 19).

MSU is 38-9 all-time against the Panthers and 15-6 at EIU.

The Racers' game at SIUE will be aired on Fox Sports Midwest. The game will also be seen online at OVCDigitalNetwork.com. All MSU games are heard over the air on WFGE Froggy 103.7 FM. Racer basketball can also be heard online at Froggy103.com and GoRacers.com.