Big Shot Racers Vanquish WKU At Home

Saturday, December 6

CFSB Center

5:30 p.m.

Murray State

5-4

Western Kentucky

3-4

Western Ky.

Murray St.

Photo by: Tab Brockman

12/6/2014 9:23:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

I Box Score I Gallery

The Murray State Racers defeated the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers 93-81 in Murray, Ky., Saturday, behind a pair of 24-point performances from Jarvis Williams Cameron Payne.

In winning the 152^nd meeting with WKU, the Racers (5-4) have won 4-of-5 in the long-running series and four straight at the CFSB Center.

The Racers won for the third straight time at home and had the lead from five minute into the game to the end.

Williams recorded his fourth double-double this season and the 18^th of his 43-game MSU career and added 12 rebounds to his 24 points. Payne added seven assists to his 24 points, while T.J. Sapp had a season-high 18 points on 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range. Justin Seymour came off the bench to provide 10 points and five assists.

The first half was highlighted by a 16-0 run for the Racers over a period of 3:05 that included forcing WKU (3-4) into six turnovers. The Racers got a trio of 3-point baskets to fall in the run from Sapp, Payne and Seymour and held a 20-6 lead at the 11:25 mark.

The half ended with the Racers getting their eighth 3-pointer of the half from Jeffery Moss to grab a 49-32 lead.

WKU dug in and made a run on the Racers in the second half and got as close as 74-70 with 6:58 remaining, but MSU hit some big shots to seal the win. Start with a Payne 3-pointer off a WKU turnover at the 5:07 mark. Sapp hit a pair of threes with the second at the 3:40 mark to push MSU in front 81-71. Payne hit Williams with a perfect alley-oop lob with 1:23 left to put a cap on it.

MSU ended the game with their best shooting performance of the season hitting 56 percent from the field on 34-of-60 shots, while they were equally hot from long range hitting 11-of-20 for 55 percent.

MSU shared the ball in a big way and had 22 assists on their 34 field goals.

Game Notes
MSU is one win from their 200^th at the CFSB Center. In their 17^th season in the building, MSU is 199-34. MSU will go for win No. 200 Dec. 17 when they host Alcorn State.

Racers on the move toward joining the 1000-Point Club include Cameron Payne who now has 732 points. Jeffery Moss has 655, while Jarvis Williams has 646.

Williams is the 43^rd player in MSU history to get 400 rebounds. After 12 boards today, he has 410 and is in 40^th place at MSU. Williams will soon pass 39^th place Vada Martin at 413 rebounds from 1981-85.

Payne had a pair of steals today and has 84 for his MSU career to rank tied for 29^th place with Zedrick Macklin who played from 1984-86.

Payne had 14 assists for the week and ranks 19th at MSU with 229. Shawn Witherspoon has 18^th place with 237 assists from 2002-07.

The Racers have the coming week open for Murray State fall semester final exams. MSU returns to the court Saturday (Dec. 13) in a 1 p.m. game with the Evansville Aces. The game in Evansville, Ind., is at the Ford Center.

In their last nine games against WKU, the Racers have won four and have also won four straight at home. WKU leads the all-time series 96-56, but MSU holds an advantage of 27-24 at home.

MSU Head Coach Steve Prohm is 80-27 in his fourth season and is 3-1 against WKU.