Murray State University Athletics
Friday, March 6
Evansville, Ind.
9 p.m.
Murray State
23-8,15-3OVC
73
vs
61
Austin Peay
21-12,14-4OVC
1
2
F
Austin Peay
29
32
61
Murray St.
36
37
73
Hot Shooting Racers Advance to OVC Finals With Win Over Peay
3/6/2020 7:11:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Murray State men's basketball team shot over 40-percent from the floor and 3-point range and was 12-for-16 at the free throw line to top Austin Peay, 73-61, Friday night at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana in the 2020 OVC Men's Basketball Championship semifinals and advance to Saturday's championship game against Belmont.
Austin Peay began each half of Friday's game with initial momentum, leading by as many as eight points in the first and overcoming a seven-point halftime deficit to take a one-point lead in the second. However, in each half, the Racers used a singular catalyst to take back the momentum such as back-to-back 3-pointers from DaQuan Smith in the first and a foul on Tevin Brown in the second that sent him to the line where he made all three free throws. From there, the Racers would go on to lead by as many as 12 in the first and 14 in the second, which they would eventually turn into a 12-point win.
The Racers proved to have the hotter hand on the night shooting 44.3-percent from the floor, compared to 39.3 by the Govs. From 3-point range, the Racers were 7-for-16 for 43.8 percent, while Austin Peay was 6-for-18 for 33.3-percent. At the charity stripe, the Racers shot 75-percent, sinking 12 of 16 attempts, while Austin Peay went just 7-for-14 for 50-percent on the night. Murray State also outrebounded Austin Peay in the game, 41-48, and had a better assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.5:1, compared to 0.75:1 by the Govs, as well as more steals (10-5) and more blocks (6-3).
Tevin Brown led the Racers with 24 points on the night including going 3-for-6 from 3-point range and 7-for-8 at the free throw line. KJ Williams pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds on the night to go along with 15 points for a double-double. Chico Carter Jr. added 10 points for MSU Friday, while Devin Gilmore chipped in with 10 boards.
On Saturday, the Racers will look to claim their third OVC tournament title in as many seasons when they take on top-seeded Belmont at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Austin Peay began each half of Friday's game with initial momentum, leading by as many as eight points in the first and overcoming a seven-point halftime deficit to take a one-point lead in the second. However, in each half, the Racers used a singular catalyst to take back the momentum such as back-to-back 3-pointers from DaQuan Smith in the first and a foul on Tevin Brown in the second that sent him to the line where he made all three free throws. From there, the Racers would go on to lead by as many as 12 in the first and 14 in the second, which they would eventually turn into a 12-point win.
The Racers proved to have the hotter hand on the night shooting 44.3-percent from the floor, compared to 39.3 by the Govs. From 3-point range, the Racers were 7-for-16 for 43.8 percent, while Austin Peay was 6-for-18 for 33.3-percent. At the charity stripe, the Racers shot 75-percent, sinking 12 of 16 attempts, while Austin Peay went just 7-for-14 for 50-percent on the night. Murray State also outrebounded Austin Peay in the game, 41-48, and had a better assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.5:1, compared to 0.75:1 by the Govs, as well as more steals (10-5) and more blocks (6-3).
Tevin Brown led the Racers with 24 points on the night including going 3-for-6 from 3-point range and 7-for-8 at the free throw line. KJ Williams pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds on the night to go along with 15 points for a double-double. Chico Carter Jr. added 10 points for MSU Friday, while Devin Gilmore chipped in with 10 boards.
On Saturday, the Racers will look to claim their third OVC tournament title in as many seasons when they take on top-seeded Belmont at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.
Team Stats
APSU
MSU
FG%
.393
.443
3FG%
.333
.438
FT%
.500
.750
RB
38
41
TO
12
10
STL
5
10
Game Leaders
Pts
24
FGM
7
3FGM
3
FTM
7
Pts
15
FGM
6
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's BasketballCoach Jody Wright | Racer Football Press Conference | 10/06/2025
Tuesday, October 07
Coach Rechelle Turner | Women's Basketball Press Conference | 9/29/2025
Monday, September 29
Players Briley Pena & Haven Ford | Women's Basketball Press Conference | 9/29/2025
Monday, September 29
Coach Jody Wright | Racer Football Press Conference | 9/29/2025
Monday, September 29
