Moss The Boss 31 Points Leads MSU Past TTU 92-53

Thursday, January 23

CFSB Center

3 p.m.

Murray State

11-8 (6-1OVC)

Tennessee Tech

10-11 (3-3OVC)

Tennessee Tech

Murray St.

Photo by: Tab Brockman

1/23/2014 6:45:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

I Box Score (PDF)

The Murray State Racers enjoyed their best offensive game of the season and Jeffery Moss of his MSU career as the Racers rolled to their seventh straight win at home Thursday in a 92-53 victory over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

The Racers (11-8) shot an incredible 63 percent in the first half (19-of-30) and led 55-23. Moss ended the day scoring a career-high 31 points to move Murray State to a 6-1 record in the Ohio Valley Conference. Tech fell to 10-11 and 3-3.

Moss hit his first eight shots from the field including four straight 3-point baskets to help the Racers jump on TTU 29-12 with 7:29 remaining in the opening half. The sophomore ended the day 12-of-18 from the field and 7-of-9 from 3-point range. He also added five rebounds and didn't commit a turnover in 31 minutes on the floor. Moss' 31 points blew past his previous best of 21 against Bethel (Nov. 19).

Already with a big lead, the Racers punished TTU with a 26-11 run which included a three-point play from Jarvis Williams who had his eighth double-double of the season with 15 rebounds and 12 points. MSU ended the half with T.J. Sapp hitting three of his 13 points on a 3-point buzzer shot to give the Racers a 55-23 lead, both were season bests for MSU in scoring and defending in a first half.

The Racers kept playing well in the second half winning the final stanza 37-30.

MSU had one of those offensive games that come when everyone hits shots. MSU was 51 percent from the field on 34-of-66 and 56 percent from 3-point range on 15-of-27. MSU was just shy of the school record 17 3-pointers from 1994.

The Racers also defended well in holding Tech to 41 percent on 22-of-53 shots including 33 percent in the first half on 10-of-30.

MSU is 8-0 this season when they win the rebound stat and they won it today 45-30. Jonathan Fairell joined Williams in double-figures with 10 to go with six points. Dexter Fields and Cameron Payne tossed in 11 points each to give MSU five in double-figure scoring.

The Racers' next challenge is at home Saturday in a 7:30 p.m. tip against the Jacksonville State Gamecocks. The women's/men's doubleheader begins at 5:15 p.m. All MSU games are heard over the air on WFGE 103.7 FM and free online at Froggy103.com and GoRacers.com. Online video is free at OVCDigitalNetwork.com.

Game Notes

Jeffery Moss certainly caused a stir on press row when he started the game 8-of-8 from the field and 4-of-4 from 3-point range. Moss had his career-high of 25 in the first half as he hit 10-of-12 from the field and 5-of-6 from 3-point range. Moss' 31 points makes him the first Racer to get 30 since Isaiah Canaan had 31 against UT Martin last season (2-28-13). Moss was the first Racer other than Canaan to get 30 points since Danero Thomas had 31 at Austin Peay in 2009.

Moss made a run at Justin Burdine's 2002 MSU record of nine against Eastern Kentucky. The OVC record was just matched two weeks ago by EKU's Glenn Cosey at Eastern Illinois. Nick Polite of EIU also had 10 3-pointers in 1999 against Arkansas State. The last Racer to hit seven 3-pointers was Canaan against Tennessee State (2-9-12).

Jarvis Williams' eighth double-double ties him for 11^th place all-time at MSU in records that date back to the early 1980's. Williams is tied with Shawn Witherspoon (2003-07) and John Jackson (1991-92). Popeye Jones (1988-92) is MSU's all-time double-double man with 77.

MSU's 15 3-pointers were close to the school record of 17 against Campbellsville in 1994. MSU had 15 at Eastern Illinois last season.

MSU's 55 points in the first half was shy of the school record 62 against Illinois College in 1970. It was MSU's season-high, better than the 48 they had against Bethel (Nov. 19) and better than their high against a D-1 team this season. MSU had 43 points against Austin Peay (Jan. 11). The OVC record is Morehead State's 83 points against West Virginia State in 1991. MSU's last first half with 50+ points was home against Southeast Missouri (1-22-11) when they scored 51. MSU's last 50 point second half was at Eastern Kentucky (12-2-10) when they had 50. MSU's last best half was at home against Tennessee Wesleyan when they scored 56 second half points on their way to a 108-49 win (11-28-09).

The Racers' home winning streak at the CFSB Center is seven since their last loss (Nov. 26) to Middle Tennessee.

MSU is 191-33 (.852) all-time in 6 seasons at the CFSB Center and 112-22 (.835) in OVC games.