Moss Long Range Show Helps Racers Get past SEMO

Thursday, February 4

Cape Girardeau, Mo.

8 p.m.

Murray State

12-11, 6-4OVC

Southeast Missouri

5-18, 2-8OVC

Murray State

Southeast Missouri

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

2/4/2016 11:10:00 AM | Men's Basketball

Box Score

The Murray State Racers outlasted the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks Thursday with a 78-72 victory at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

The win pushed MSU to 12-11 overall and it moved them into a first place tie with Eastern Illinois in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division at 6-4. The Redhawks fell to 5-18 and 2-8.

Coming off a 22-point effort Saturday at UT Martin, Jeffery Moss poured in 26 against SEMO on 9-of-14 shooting including 7-of-11 from the 3-point line. Moss tied his career-high in 3-point shooting matching the seven he hit at home against Tennessee Tech in 2014. He was two off the MSU record of nine held by Justin Burdine in 2002.

The Racers placed five in double-figures with 12 from Wayne Langston and 10 each from Gee McGhee, Damarcus Croaker and Bryce Jones.

After taking a 40-32 lead at half, the Racers opened the second half with a 14-2 run, with the senior Moss supplying a pair of 3-pointers. The Racers had their largest lead of the game at 54-36.

The lead was chipped away by SEMO and the Redhawks got as close as 75-72 with 40-seconds remaining.

A mini 6-0 run helped the Racers salt the game away. Langston hit Croaker coming down the lane with 2:50 left for a 71-66 lead. After forcing a turnover, MSU's Jones hit a pair from the line for a seven-point lead with 2:05 left. Jones hit again with a layup at the 1:30 mark to put MSU in front 75-68.

In the first half, MSU started with a 10-2 lead and made it a 10-point advantage with 2:51 left.

The Racers led wire-to-wire and never trailed in the game.

The Racers return home to the CFSB Center Saturday for a doubleheader with the Austin Peay Governors. The women's game will be played at 5 p.m. with the men's game to follow with a 7 p.m. tip.

Game Notes
The game with the Govs Saturday will mean the Racers will have played every OVC opponent once this season.

Jeffery Moss made another run at MSU's single-game 3-point record. He tied his own career-high with seven tonight. Red hot from way downtown, Moss is 13-of-23 in the last two games from long range. Murray State's single-game mark of nine made 3-pointers by Justin Burdine in 2002 still stands. Burdine did it at home against EKU. James Singleton hit eight at home against EIU in 2003 and Don Mann had eight against TSU in 1989. Moss is one of 13 Racers that have hit seven threes in a single-game since the 3-point shot was started in 1986.

MSU made 12 threes tonight marking their best game since last March when they hit 14 at Tulsa in the NIT.