Great In Every Phase - Racers Take Down TSU - Murray State University Athletics

Saturday, January 20

Nashville, Tenn.

7:30 p.m.

Murray State

14-5, 6-2OVC

Tennessee State

8-11, 3-5OVC

Murray St.

Tennessee State

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Great In Every Phase - Racers Take Down TSU

1/20/2018 11:27:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Murray State Racers gained a split of their Ohio Valley Conference Nashville swing with a 76-57 victory Saturday over the Tennessee State Tigers at the Gentry Center.

The win keeps MSU (14-5) in a share of second place in the conference at 6-2. The Racers now prepare to come home to the friendly confines of the CFSB Center for a Thursday/Saturday match-up with Morehead State and Eastern Kentucky.

Jonathan Stark led MSU with 25 points, while Ja Morant and Terrell Miller, Jr., each added 12 points. Byron Hawkins had his second-straight game with double-digit scoring off the Racer bench with 11 points.

The OVC's Preseason MVP, Stark started the game with a quick pair of 3-pointers for an 11-9 lead less than seven minutes into the contest as MSU took its first lead of the game. The half ended with an offensive rebound by Anthony Smith to keep possession and he fed Morant cutting down the lane. MSU got a stop and cleared the floor for the final shot of the half by Stark. His 3-point basket was his fourth of the half and it sent the Racers into the intermission with a 38-26 lead. MSU closed the final 3:41 of the half with a 12-2 run.
Miller, who had two points at half, got hot and scored 10-straight points for MSU to grab a 52-39 lead with 11:09 left. When TSU cut the MSU lead to six, Stark was fouled taking a 3-point shot and hit all of the free throws with 6:33 left and a 58-49 Racer lead. TSU never got any closer and Morant put a cap on the evening with a steal and slam with 2:41 remaining for a 16-point MSU lead.

The Racers managed to take care of the ball against TSU, who was 19^th in the nation and first in the OVC in forcing turnovers. MSU only gave the ball up 11 times and actually turned the tables on the Tigers in forcing them into 15 turnovers. The game also turned from the 3-point line where the Racers were 11-of-29 for 38 percent and TSU was 4-of-20 for 20 percent.

Game Notes
The Racers now lead the all-time series with the Tigers 53-17 and are 23-8 in away games. MSU has won seven of the last eight games in the series.

Stark has 10 games this season of 20-plus scoring and 32 in his MSU career that is 52 games old.

Morant, who had MSU's second triple-double since 1984 on Dec. 28 against Eastern Illinois, flirted with another one tonight. The MSU freshman had 12 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

Miller overcame a slow start in shooting the basketball tonight. In the first half, he had two points on 1-of-6 from the field and 0-of-4 from the 3-point line. In the second half, he scored 10 points in a row and finished the half 4-of-8 from the field and 2-of-4 from the 3-point line.

Miller is pushing to become the 44^th member of the MSU 1000-Point Club. With 12 points scored tonight, he sits at 812 points.

The Racers now come home to the CFSB Center for a Thursday doubleheader with Morehead State. The women's/men's tip times are at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. The night will be highlighted by the first viewing of a new video scoreboard in the center of the arena. ESPNU is also in the house to show the Racers on national television.