Murray State University Athletics
Thursday, January 19
CFSB Center
7 p.m.
Murray State
11-9 (5-1OVC)
86
vs
79
Eastern Kentucky
8-13 (1-5OVC)
1
2
F
Eastern Kentucky
37
42
79
Murray State
42
44
86
Photo by: Curt Hart
Racers On A Roll - Defeat EKU For 3rd Straight Win
1/19/2017 10:37:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Murray State Racers rolled to their third-straight win with an 86-79 home victory over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky.
The Racers (11-9) improved to 5-1 and kept their first place spot in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division. EKU (8-13) fell to 1-5 in OVC play.
Damarcus Croaker had a career-high 10 field goals for 23 points, while Terrell Miller, Jr. scored a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Jonathan Stark added 21 points.
Stark's 3-point basket with two seconds left in the half gave the Racers a 42-37 lead at the intermission.
EKU rallied in the second half and briefly took a 59-58 with 9:43 remaining, but seconds later, Stark hit another 3-pointer to put the Racers in front for good.
The Racers had the run that put the game away when Stark made a steal and fed Croaker for a big slam and then a pair of Miller free throws made it a 79-67 lead with 1:28 left. A pair of Asante Gist 3-pointers cut the MSU lead to three with 15 seconds on the clock, but MSU never gave EKU a chance to have possession with a chance to tie it.
MSU shot 50 percent from field (31-of-61) and hit 6-of-14 from the 3-point line for 40 percent. MSU had another excellent night from the free throw line in shooting 87 percent on 18-of-23. MSU made as many free throws as EKU attempted.
Game Notes
MSU now leads the all-time series with EKU 99-61 and are 54-22 at home. The Racers have won the last three with the Colonels.
Croaker's 10-of-18 night from the field marks his career-highs in makes and attempts.
Croaker's game marked the third time he has scored 20 or more points in a game. He had 23 points tonight, following the 23 he had at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 15) and 25 points at home against Tennessee State (Dec. 31).
???????Jalen Dupree had a career-high four blocked shots.
Miller has four double-double games in the last five and seven this season.
With the win tonight, the Racers are 5-1 in the OVC and hold a two-game lead in the West Division over UT Martin and Southeast Missouri, each are 3-3.
The Racers have a short turn around for their Saturday game at Austin Peay. The women's-men's doubleheader is set for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tenn.
The Racers have won the last six games at APSU since their last loss in 2009. Prior to that, the Govs won 6-of-7.
The Racers (11-9) improved to 5-1 and kept their first place spot in the Ohio Valley Conference West Division. EKU (8-13) fell to 1-5 in OVC play.
Damarcus Croaker had a career-high 10 field goals for 23 points, while Terrell Miller, Jr. scored a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds and Jonathan Stark added 21 points.
Stark's 3-point basket with two seconds left in the half gave the Racers a 42-37 lead at the intermission.
EKU rallied in the second half and briefly took a 59-58 with 9:43 remaining, but seconds later, Stark hit another 3-pointer to put the Racers in front for good.
The Racers had the run that put the game away when Stark made a steal and fed Croaker for a big slam and then a pair of Miller free throws made it a 79-67 lead with 1:28 left. A pair of Asante Gist 3-pointers cut the MSU lead to three with 15 seconds on the clock, but MSU never gave EKU a chance to have possession with a chance to tie it.
MSU shot 50 percent from field (31-of-61) and hit 6-of-14 from the 3-point line for 40 percent. MSU had another excellent night from the free throw line in shooting 87 percent on 18-of-23. MSU made as many free throws as EKU attempted.
Game Notes
MSU now leads the all-time series with EKU 99-61 and are 54-22 at home. The Racers have won the last three with the Colonels.
Croaker's 10-of-18 night from the field marks his career-highs in makes and attempts.
Croaker's game marked the third time he has scored 20 or more points in a game. He had 23 points tonight, following the 23 he had at Middle Tennessee (Nov. 15) and 25 points at home against Tennessee State (Dec. 31).
???????Jalen Dupree had a career-high four blocked shots.
Miller has four double-double games in the last five and seven this season.
With the win tonight, the Racers are 5-1 in the OVC and hold a two-game lead in the West Division over UT Martin and Southeast Missouri, each are 3-3.
The Racers have a short turn around for their Saturday game at Austin Peay. The women's-men's doubleheader is set for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. at the Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tenn.
The Racers have won the last six games at APSU since their last loss in 2009. Prior to that, the Govs won 6-of-7.
Team Stats
EKU
MUR
FG%
.518
.508
3FG%
.421
.429
FT%
.722
.783
RB
32
30
TO
19
11
STL
7
9
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
10
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
21
FGM
6
3FGM
3
FTM
6
Pts
19
FGM
7
3FGM
2
FTM
3
Pts
8
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball2025 Murray State Hall of Fame Inductee Casey Brockman
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2025 Murray State Hall of Fame Inductee Danny Alfeldt
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2025 Murray State Hall of Fame Inductee Alexa Becker
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2025 Murray State Hall of Fame Inductee Ivan Roe
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