Racers Fall Back Into OVC First Place Tie With APSU

Thursday, February 13

Clarksville, Tenn.

8 p.m.

Murray State

18-7,11-2OVC

Austin Peay

17-9,11-2OVC

Murray St.

Austin Peay

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

2/13/2020 9:51:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Murray State Racers and Austin Peay Governors battled to the end Thursday before APSU came way with a 71-68 win at the Dunn Center in Clarksville, Tennessee.

The Racers (18-7) fell back into a tie with APSU (17-9) for the Ohio Valley Conference lead as each team sits now at 11-2. Game two of their season series is on the final game of the regular season (Feb. 29) in Murray, Kentucky.

The Racers are at home Saturday to host the Morehead State Eagles at the CFSB Center with a 4 p.m. tip.

MSU had five players in double-figure scoring led by a career-high 21 points from Jaiveon Eaves. DaQuan Smith and Tevin Brown each scored 13 points, with KJ Williams scoring 11 and Anthony Smith putting 10 points in the scoring column.

Trailing by a point (35-34) at the halftime intermission, the Racers enjoyed their final lead of the game with 16:47 remaining when Eaves scored on a drive in the lane.

With 5:16 left, the Racers were down by eight points, but rallied.

This entertaining game saw Williams hit a hook shot with 2:22 left to cut the APSU lead to three at 66-63. After a loose ball scramble, Eaves came out with the ball and was fouled. The Racers ran a play for DaQuan Smith and he buried a corner three with 1:46 left to tie it at 66-66. On APSU's next possession, a three-point play put the Govs back in front for good at 69-66 with 1:24 left.

But the game wasn't without more tense moments. APSU missed a 3-point try with 46 seconds left, but the Racers tipped the ball out of bounds. When APSU brought the ball in with 20 seconds on the shot clock, the Racers forced a turnover to get the ball back with 41 seconds left and down by a point. Anthony Smith's drive saw the ball go out of bounds and back to the Govs with 23 seconds left. The Racers fouled Evan Hinson and he made both for a three-point lead 71-68. Brown missed a three with five seconds left, but DaQuan Smith picked off a pass at mid-court and got a good look at the tying points at the buzzer.

Game Notes
After the dust settled on the Thursday night in the OVC. Here are the scores and how the standings stack up heading into Saturday's schedule.

Eastern Kentucky 78 @Morehead State 71
Jacksonville State 74 @Tennessee Tech 75
Tennessee State 51 @Belmont 74
UT Martin 72 @SE Missouri 74
SIUE 76 @Eastern Illinois 74
Murray State 68 @Austin Peay 71

The Racers and Govs are tied at the top at 11-2, with Belmont and Eastern Kentucky each at 10-3. Tennessee State is 7-6 and Morehead State sits a 6-7. Eastern Illinois and Jacksonville State are each 5-8. SIUE and UT Martin, are each 4-9, UT Martin is 3-10 and SEMO is 1-11

The Racers lead the all-time series with Morehead State 114-51 and are 61-14 all-time at home. The Racers have won 21 of the last 25 games since 2005 and have won the last 12 meetings with Morehead State at the CFSB Center since the Eagles' last win in 2003.

The Racers have won 18-straight games at their home arena.