MSU Secures 27th Straight Winning Season

Thursday, February 13

CFSB Center

7 p.m.

Murray State

15-9 (10-2OVC)

SIU Edwardsville

10-16 (6-6OVC)

SIU Edwardsville

Murray St.

Photo by: Tab Brockman

2/13/2014 10:18:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

I Box Score (PDF) I gallery

The Murray State Racers clinched their 27^th straight winning season Thursday with an 82-72 win over the SIU Edwardsville Cougars at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

The Racers (15-9) moved to 10-2 in the Ohio Valley Conference and pushed their home winning streak to nine.

MSU got a double-double from Jarvis Williams for the 12^th time this season on 19 points and 12 rebounds and Cameron Payne scored 17 points to go with five assists. Jeffery Moss had his 14^th double-digit scoring game this season with 15 points. T.J. Sapp was a rebound from a double-double and scored 14 points.

Trailing early 14-6 4:40 into the contest, the Racers hit a burst. Moss cut across the lane and Sapp went coast-to-coast for a score. Dexter Fields hit a long jumper and Williams had an offensive rebound which gave Moss a second-chance hoop and just like that, the Racers had an 11-0 run and a 17-14 lead with 12:22 to go before half.

The score was tied again (33-33) with 4:51 before half and MSU hit another nice run. Payne reentered the game with two personal fouls and scored three straight baskets. Moss stayed hot and hit another jumper and a long 3-pointer. MSU finished the half on a 13-2 run and led 46-35. The Racers are 14-3 this season when leading at the half.

MSU led by double-digits in the early part of the second half and took a largest lead of 17 points (66-49) with 11:35 remaining on two Sapp baskets and one from Moss.

SIUE got as close as nine points (76-67) with under a minute to play, but the Racers hit 5-of-6 from the free throw line to seal their 15^th win of the season.

The Racers host the Eastern Illinois Panthers Saturday in the second game of a doubleheader. The MSU women play EIU at 5:15 p.m. with the men's game set for a 7:30 p.m. tip. The OVC Digital Network has free streaming video online. All MSU games are heard over the air on Racer Radio on WGFE 103.7 FM and free online at Froggy103.com and GoRacers.com.

Game Notes
Murray State's most significant accomplishment among many, is its streak of winning seasons that stands now 27. MSU is in lofty company with Syracuse who is headed to their 44^th straight. Kansas, Arizona will have winning seasons for 31 and 30 straight. The Racers will remain tied with UConn at 27 as the Huskies are also headed for a winning season. After a losing season (13-15) in 1986-87, Steve Newton started the run in the 1987-88 season and has been followed by Scott Edgar, Mark Gottfried, Tevester Anderson, Mick Cronin, Billy Kennedy and now Steve Prohm.

The Racers' win streak at the CFSB Center is now nine in a row since they lost to Middle Tennessee (Nov. 26). The Racers and Belmont are the only teams in the OVC undefeated at home this season in league play. MSU is 6-0 and Belmont is 7-0 after their 73-71 win tonight over Tennessee State.

In OVC home games, the Racers have several current streaks that are impressive. MSU has won eight straight over Jacksonville State, Morehead State and Tennessee Tech. MSU hosts Morehead State (Feb. 22) in what is the Eagles first trip to Murray in two years. MSU has won four straight over Belmont and three in a row against Austin Peay.

Steve Prohm is now 67-21 (.761) in his third season with the Racers and 35-9 (.729) in OVC games.

Jarvis Williams had his 12^th double-double of the season and his fifth in the last six games. His fourth straight double-double was a good one for the Racers with 19 points and 12 rebounds. M.J. Rhett of Tennessee State is the OVC leader. He had his 13^th tonight in the loss to Belmont.

T.J. Sapp's nine rebounds was his career-high, ahead of the seven he had against Austin Peay (Jan. 31).

The Racers won the first meeting of the season with EIU (Jan. 16) 70-66 in a game that MSU trailed by eight points at half time. Cameron Payne scored 21 points, while T.J. Sapp added 20 and Jonathan Fairell grabbed a career-high 14 rebounds. It was Payne's 3-pointer with 30 seconds left that sealed the win for MSU.

EIU comes to MSU Saturday after an 88-83 loss at Austin Peay. The Panthers (9-16, 6-7 OVC) were led by Sherman Blanford with 32 points and 18 rebounds.

The Racers are 21-2 all-time at home against EIU.