Racers Celebrate Bennie & Rain Threes On SEMO

Saturday, February 13

CFSB Center

7 p.m.

Murray State

14-12, 8-5OVC

Southeast Missouri

5-21, 2-11OVC

Southeast Missouri State

Murray State

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

2/13/2016 10:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

The Murray State Racers drained 14 3-point baskets on their way to an 83-56 win over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.

The Racers improved to 14-12 overall and 8-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division. The Redhawks fell to 5-21 and 2-11.

Gee McGhee and Jeffery Moss led the Racers with 20 and 23 points, while Justin Seymour and Wayne Langston each scored 11. Bryce Jones added 10 points.

On a night when Racer great Bennie Purcell was eulogized and former Racer and now NBA star Cameron Payne was in the house, MSU went to work early on the Redhawks.

MSU hit 6-of-7 from 3-point range to the start the game as Moss hit his first three attempts and the Racers led 16-7. With 11:43 before half, Seymour hit a pair of threes and the lead went to 23-9. The Racers' scoring binge saw three more 3-pointers go in with two from Moss and one from McGhee to push the lead to 35-12 with 8:12 remaining.

MSU led SEMO 48-25 at the half and hit 11-of-16 from 3-point range for a robust 68 percent.

The second half saw the Racers play solid and never allowed the Redhawks to get any closer than 17 points.

MSU finished the night with their best offensive game of the season hitting 32-of-56 from the field for 53 percent and 14-of-24 from 3-point range for 58 percent. It was MSU's best performance from long range since also hitting 14 threes last March at Tulsa in the NIT.

The night featured a scene that touched everyone that loves Murray State University. Before the game, fans stood and celebrated the life of Racer great Bennie Purcell who died Friday at the age of 86. An icon of Racer basketball and tennis, Bennie was a friend to all and all were friends of his. A video highlighting his playing and coaching career was played. Fans brought cards and flowers to the arena and placed them in the spot by gate B where Bennie always watched the Racers play.

Former Racer Cameron Payne was also in the CFSB Center where he became a star the last two seasons. Payne left after his sophomore season and was drafted by the NBA's Oklahoma City Thunder last June. Payne is having a great rookie season and is playing an average of 12 minutes per game and is scoring 5.4 points per game. Payne is part of a first place team that is 40-14 in the Northwest Division.

Game Notes

MSU's 14 threes matched the performance they had last March in the NIT second round at Tulsa. The last time MSU hit 15 in a game was against Tennessee Tech in 2014. The Murray State record of 17 came at home in 1994 against Campbellsville.

Jeffery Moss and Justin Seymour both extended their streak of consecutive games with a made 3-point basket. Moss's run is up to 12 and Seymour nine. The MSU record belongs to Isaiah Canaan when he had a streak of 38 straight between 2012 and 2013.

Moss scored 20 points tonight and has 1,313 in his MSU career. He'll soon pass Antoine Whelchel (2000-04) at No. 21 who had 1,335.

The Racers have a week before they get back on the floor again. MSU plays at Austin Peay (Feb. 20) in Clarksville, Tenn. MSU, now 8-5, started the day in a three-way tie for OVC West Division first place (in the loss column) with UT Martin and Eastern Illinois who also had five losses. EIU dropped to 7-6 with a 72-64 home loss to SIUE. UTM hit a buzzer 3-pointer at Austin Peay to win in overtime 85-84 and are now 7-5.