Racers Outlast Tech - Remain Atop OVC - Murray State University Athletics

Saturday, January 11

Cookeville, Tenn.

7:30 p.m.

Murray State

11-5,4-0OVC

Tennessee Tech

3-14,0-4OVC

Murray St.

Tennessee Tech

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Racers Outlast Tech - Remain Atop OVC

1/11/2020 10:58:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score TTU Box Score Photo Gallery

The Murray State Racers pushed their win streak to five with an 81-69 victory over the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Saturday at the Eblen Center in Cookeville, Tenn. The Racers (11-5) kept a share of first place in the Ohio Valley Conference at 4-0 and won their sixth straight league game on the road.

KJ Williams led a quartet of Racers in double-figure scoring with 17 points, while DaQuan Smith hit four 3-pointers for 16 points. Jaiveon Eaves scored 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting and Anthony Smith had his fourth double-double this season on 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Producing their best blitz of the season, the Racers hit TTU with a 19-0 run to take a 23-7 in a little more than the first eight minutes of the game. Tevin Brown, Eaves and DaQuan Smith hit threes to fuel the run. However, just when he looked like MSU was going to run away and on cruise control, Tech outscored the Racers 28-13 to cut the lead to 36-35 at the half.

The second half started with DaQuan Smith drilling a pair of threes to put the Racers in front 53-46 with 12 minutes to go. When Smith hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game at 6:38 left, MSU had pushed to a 66-57 advantage. The Racers' 3-point barrage saw them hit 5-of-6 to lead 71-59 with 5:25 left. Tech closed to seven points, but never got any closer.

Game Notes
The Racers have won the last five with TTU and 11-of-13 since 2012. MSU is 130-49 (.726) overall and 49-37 (.569 at TTU.

The series with Tech is MSU's most-played opponent as tonight was the 179^th meeting between these two original founding members of the OVC.

Today's meeting is the only one for the Racers and Golden Eagles this regular season.

Murray State coach Matt McMahon is 98-47 (.675) in his fifth season as he closes in on becoming the third-consecutive Racer coach to reach 100 wins and the ninth overall. McMahon is 53-18 (.746) in OVC games.

McMahon is 5-2 against TTU.

The Racers overall win streak is five since their last loss (Dec. 21) at Evansville.

The win for the Racers pushes their road win streak in the OVC to six in a row since their last loss at Jacksonville State (1-31-19).

The Racers stay on the road next week with games at UT Martin and Southeast Missouri (Jan. 16 & 18).

MSU moved to 4-0 and kept a share of first place in the OVC with Austin Peay. The Govs are MSU's travel Partner and won Saturday at Jacksonville State 71-67. There is a foursome of teams at 3-1 including Belmont, Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Tennessee State.