9th Straight OVC Opener Win - Racers Defeat TSU - Murray State University Athletics

Saturday, December 31

CFSB Center

11 a.m.

Murray State

7-8 (1-0OVC)

Tennessee State

9-4 (0-1OVC)

Tennessee State

Murray State

Photo by: Tab Brockman

9th Straight OVC Opener Win - Racers Defeat TSU

12/31/2016 6:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Murray State Racers overcame an eight-point halftime deficit to score 57 points in the second half in route to a 92-83 win Saturday over the Tennessee State Tigers.

The Racers won their ninth-straight Ohio Valley Conference Opener in the game played at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

MSU (7-8) is 1-0 in OVC play and hits the road this week for games at Jacksonville State and Tennessee Tech. The Tigers fell to 9-4 and 0-1.

Jonathan Stark, Damarcus Croaker and Bryce Jones proved to be the triple-threat that TSU couldn't stop on this day. Stark poured in 26 points, while Croaker scored a season-high 25 points and Jones added 21 points on a career-high four 3-point baskets.

Trailing 43-35 at the half, the Racers used a 7-0 run at the 9:12 mark to get the game tied 63-63 after Jalen Dupree and Croaker scored. MSU grabbed their first lead of the second half when Stark hit a jumper with 7:37 remaining.

It was Croaker's play on defense that perhaps saved the day for the Racers. With 1:32 left and leading 81-79, MSU turned the ball over just inside the mid-court line. TSU raced to the other end with what seemed to be an easy score. Croaker hustled behind the play and made the block of a shot by TSU's Delano Spencer.

TSU did tie the game moments later and MSU took the lead for good with 45-seconds left on a pair of Jones free throws. Croaker had a run-out dunk as the buzzer sounded to make it a banner day for the Racers in a 92-83 victory.

Game Notes
As a founding member of the OVC, the Racers started their 69^th season of OVC basketball today.

The Racers have now won nine-straight OVC openers since their last loss to Eastern Kentucky at home in 2008.

MSU beats TSU after losing to the Tigers in Nashville last season in a game that broke a six-game win streak in the series for the Racers. With today's win, MSU has won 15 of the last 17 meetings and are 29-6 all-time at home. MSU now leads the all-time series 52-17.

Today's game marked MSU's first New Year's Eve game since 1991 when they played in Jonesboro against Arkansas State. The Racers lost that game 63-59 with the first half being played in 1991 and the second half in 1992 on New Year's Day. Today was MSU's first New Year's Eve home game since they lost to Evansville 78-70 at Racer Arena in 1988.

After 14 games of up and down results, the Racers have won back-to-back games for the first time this season.

Stark pushed his streak of hitting at least one 3-point basket to the first 15 games of the season. He was 1-of-5 today.

Croaker's 25 points was his season-high and one off his career high of 26 he had last season against Eastern Illinois.

Jones hit a career-high four 3-point shots for the Racers.

MSU had three players with 20-plus points for just the fifth time since 1997 when Stark, Croaker and Jones did it today. The last instance was at Belmont (2-6-14) when Cameron Payne scored 29 points, with 21 from Jarvis Williams and 20 from T.J. Sapp.

Here are the other MSU games since 1997 with three 20-point scorers

Payne (29), Williams (21) & Sapp (20)
A Belmont 2-6-14

Payne (27), Moss & Williams (20)
H UT Martin 1-5-14

Canaan (32), Wilson (21), Daniel (20)
Lipscomb 11-26-12

Mayes (23), Rainey (21), Townsend (21)
SEMO 2-6-97

The game featured 58 total fouls and 69 free throws. MSU hit 81 percent (35-of-43) and TSU 77 percent (20-of-26).

MSU's 35 made free throws is a season high. MSU hit 31 Thursday against Brescia. MSU has 66 made free throws in the last two games.

The Racers forced TSU into 16 turnovers. It is MSU's season-high against an NCAA D-I team. They had previous played UMKC in November and made the Roos turn it over 15 times.

MSU doesn't play at the CFSB Center until they meet Eastern Kentucky on Jan. 19. Before that, it's a four-game road trip over two weeks. Thursday MSU plays at Jacksonville State and Saturday visits Tennessee Tech. Next week, MSU heads north to play at Eastern Illinois (Jan. 12) and SIUE (Jan. 14). All of the games will be streamed at OVCDigitalNetwork.com.