Brilliant Second Half Pushes Racers Past James Madison

Wednesday, November 24

Naples, Fla.

1:30 p.m

Murray State

5-1,0-0OVC

James Madison

5-2,0-0CAA

Murray St.

James Madison

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Brilliant Second Half Pushes Racers Past James Madison

11/24/2021 12:47:00 PM | Men's Basketball

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The Murray State Racers leave the Naples Invitational with two wins in three games

The Murray State Racers used a 17-0 run that began in the final minute of the first half and continued in the second half and carried it to a 74-62 win over the James Madison Dukes at the Naples Invitational at the Community School of Naples Fieldhouse in Naples, Florida.

The Racers (5-1) came away from the event with a pair of wins in three games with a prior loss to East Tennessee and a win over Long Beach, before today's winning effort against JMU.

Trae Hannibal led five Racers in double-figure scoring with 15, while Tevin Brown and KJ Williams each added 13 points. Justice Hill scored 11 points and DJ Burns had 10 points and was one rebound shy of a double-double.

Trailing 30-25 at the half, the Racers hit the Dukes with a lightning quick start to the second half. Hill hit a pair of threes and fed Williams for a slam dunk to begin the second stanza. The run went to 12-0 at the 16:12 mark, after Brown made a steal and dunk. After a Racer defensive stop, DJ Burns scored for a 37-30 Racer advantage. Coming out of a timeout, Hannibal scored on a drive and Brown drilled a 3-pointer for a 19-2 start to the second half and the Racers had a 12-point lead with 14:32 remaining. MSU's largest lead of the game was 17 points with 6:10 left.

The Racers second half is certainly one that any team would want to frame and hang in the locker room. In the final twenty minutes, MSU hit 21-of-29 from the field for 72 percent, including 4-of-8 from the 3-point line for 50 percent.

Murray State's next two games are at home in the CFSB Center. MSU hosts Campbellsville Monday (Nov. 29) and Middle Tennessee (Dec. 4) on Coach Cal Luther Day.

Game Notes

The Racers met James Madison for just the second time today and both have been neutral site games. The first was in 2010 at the Coaches vs Cancer Classic in Miami where the Racers won 71-43.
During the first 8:20 of the second half, the Racers had a stretch where they hit eight-straight shots and a run of making 10-of-11.

The amazing start to the second half certainly showed in the stat line. In the first 8:20 of the second half, the Racers outscored JMU 27-8 on 11-of-14 from the field, 3-of-6 from the 3-point and they were 2-of-2 from the free throw line.
Brown made three 3-point baskets today and now had 268 in his career as he chases the all-time Murray State record held by Isaiah Canaan (304 from 2009-13) and the OVC by Austin Peay's Joe Sibbitt (309 from 1994-98).
For the Naples Invitational three games, the Racers averaged 70.7 points per game and gave up 57.0.
MSU shot 47 percent from the field (84-179) for the three games, while they held opponents to 42 percent (66-157).

Coach Matt McMahon comments after Racers' 74-62 victory over JMU in Naples. pic.twitter.com/qyi2tDPEWG
— Murray State Sports (@MSURacers) November 24, 2021

2021 Naples Invitational
Community School of Naples Gymnasium
Naples, Florida – Nov. 22-24, 2021

Nov. 22
12 p.m. ET – Kent State 74 James Madison 69
2:30 p.m. ET – Wright State 63 George Washington 74
5:30 p.m. ET – ETSU 66 Murray State 58
8:00 p.m. ET – Missouri State 92 Long Beach State 66

Nov. 23
12 p.m. ET – James Madison 78 Wright State 76
2:30 p.m. ET – Murray State 80 Long Beach 43
5:30 p.m. ET – Kent State 77 George Washington 69
8:00 p.m. ET – Missouri State 76 vs ETSU 77

Nov. 24
12 p.m. ET – 7^th place game – Wright State 76 Long Beach 85
2:30 p.m. ET – 5^th place game – James Madison 62 Murray State 74
5:30 p.m. ET – 3^rd place game – Missouri State 72 George Washington 54
8:00 p.m. ET – Championship game – Kent State vs ETSU

Murray State Spirit Night With Memphis Grizzlies
return to Memphis for another Murray State Spirit Night at the Grizzlies game Saturday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. when the Grizzlies and former Racer and NBA all-star, Ja Morant, host the Houston Rockets at the FedExForum. A pre-game party will be held at the brand-new location of Ghost River Brewing Co. on Beale Street, directly across from FedExForum, from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Free food (while it lasts), loads of swag and a cash bar will be provided. To add a bit of sparkle to the celebration, the annual Memphis Holiday Parade will also take place on Beale Street at 3 p.m. and Ghost River Brewing Co. will be the perfect viewing location.

Also that weekend at the FedExForum, the Murray State Racer Men's Basketball team will take on the University of Memphis Tigers Friday, Dec. 10. Tickets can be purchased through the University of Memphis box office.

Make plans to spend the weekend as Racer Nation takes over Bluff City! For more information on either game, call (270) 809-5600.

Racers Selected For Two Home Games On ESPNU
The Murray State men's basketball is hosting a pair of televised home games on ESPNU as announced by the Ohio Valley Conference for the 2021-22 season. The Racers will appear on ESPNU (Feb. 17) when they host the Austin Peay Governors at the CFSB Center in a 6 p.m. tip. The second game happens at home (Feb. 24) against the Belmont Bruins in a tip off of 8 p.m. Both of the TV games for the Racers come on Thursday nights. The OVC schedule has a total of nine total men's basketball televised games (six regular season contests and three OVC Tournament games) to be aired by one of the ESPN networks during the 2021-22 season. This includes three nights of coverage at the OVC Tournament (March 4-5) at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.

Mini-Ticket Plans Available
Fans can purchase season tickets and the Navy & Gold Mini ticket plans at Racer Mania. The mini plans are a great way for Racer Nation to enjoy Murray State games with general admission tickets. Each mini plan is $50 for one general admission ticket to five games. All of the games offered in the ticket plans are doubleheaders except for the stand-alone men's game vs Middle Tennessee (Dec. 4). Call the ticket office at (270) 809-3000 to purchase a ticket plan.

NAVY TICKET PLAN
Dec. 4, 2021    Sat.     Middle Tennessee
Dec. 30, 2021   Thu.     Southeast Missouri (DH)
Jan. 22, 2022   Sat.     UT Martin (DH)
Jan. 29, 2022   Sat.     Morehead State (DH)
Feb. 17, 2022    Thu.     Austin Peay (DH)

GOLD TICKET PLAN
Dec. 18, 2021    Sat.     Chattanooga (WBB vs Lipscomb)
Jan. 1, 2022      Sat.     Tennessee Tech (DH)
Jan. 20, 2022   Thu.     Eastern Illinois (DH)
Feb. 5, 2022     Sat.     SIUE (DH)
Feb. 24, 2022   Thu.     Belmont (DH)

Racer Basketball Legacy Fund
The new fundraising initiative invites Racer supporters to have a lasting impact on the Murray State men's and women's basketball programs. Those interested in learning more about how you can support the Racer Basketball Legacy Fund initiative may contact Director of Development-Athletics, Taylor Mudd at (270) 809-3517 or tmudd3@murraystate.edu for more information.