Racers Produce Amazing Comeback Win Over Chicago State

Tuesday, December 13

Murray, Ky.

7 p.m.

Murray State

6-4,2-0MVC

Chicago State

3-9,0-0DI Independent

Chicago St.

Murray St.

Photo by: (c) {year 4} David Eaton

Racers Produce Amazing Comeback Win Over Chicago State

12/13/2022 9:22:00 AM | Men's Basketball

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The Racers pushed their home winning streak to 19 after overcoming a record halftime deficit at the CFSB Center

The Murray State Racers overcame a 15-point halftime deficit Tuesday to nip the Chicago State Cougars 66-65 at the wire at the CFSB Center in Murray, Kentucky.

The win for the Racers (6-4) extends their home winning streak to 19, while also setting the 25-year arena record of the largest halftime deficit overcome to win.

JaCobi Wood scored 20 of his 24 points in a frantic second half that saw the Racers outscore the Cougars 39-23. DJ Burns provided 18 points on 11 offensive rebounds (14 for the game).

Making a record comeback at home certainly wasn't what the Racers had in mind, but there they were, down 30-8 after 11 minutes of play.
With 2:36 left in the half, Rob Perry scored to cut the CSU lead to 11, but the Racers went into the intermission trailing 42-17, setting up the second half drama.

With 4:31 remaining, the Racers cut it to 57-56 on a rebound of a missed free throw and score from Burns. CSU went in front by six points with 3:23 left, but the Racers still trailed by four points with 46 seconds left. The winning 5-0 MSU run included a 3-point play by Wood with 36 seconds left, a missed free throw by CSU and a layup with 18 seconds left by Perry. The Racers held CSU to a contested 3-point try for the win at the buzzer.

The Racers host the Austin Peay Governors Friday in a 7 p.m. tip in the Popeyes Battle of the Border. It's also Max's 641 Towing toy drive night and Teddy Bear Toss.

Game Notes

The Racers are 2-0 all-time against Chicago State with both wins coming at MSU. The other was in 2003.
The Racers have won 19 in a row at home since their last loss to Eastern Illinois (Feb. 21, 2021).
MSU's current streak is tied for seventh all-time. The next milestone would be 23 consecutive wins that began (Dec. 17, 1930) and ended (Jan. 20, 1933). MSU's top home win streak was the 47 in a row that began (Jan. 6, 1998) and ended (Jan. 15, 2000).
In 25 years of MSU basketball in the CFSB Center, the 15-point halftime deficit overcome to win today is the record for the arena.
In 2005 MSU trailed by 14 points at half (38-24) to Austin Peay, but won the game 82-73 (02-12-2005).
In 2003, Southern Illinois had the Racers down by 13 points at halftime (38-25), but the Racers came back to win 68-64 (12-17-2003).
Last December (12-10-21), the Racers trailed at Memphis by 14 points (40-26), but a second half of 10 made 3-point baskets enabled them to win 74-72
In 2007, the Racers trailed Tennessee State in Nashville by 16 points at halftime (42-26), but came back to win 86-83 in overtime (01-04-2007).
Trailing by 22 points in the first 11 minutes of play (30-8) makes this win for the Racers tied with the fourth-best comeback in MVC history.
Top Comebacks in Valley History
Date Deficit & Opponent Winning Team Score
01-27-1977 28 pts at Bradley New Mexico State 117-109
03-06-2005 23 vs Southern Illinois Missouri State 65-61
01-27-2001 23 vs Bradley Evansville 70-67 OT
12-14-2002 22 vs Chicago State Murray State 66-65
11-25-2007 22 at Winthrop Missouri State 73-69
11-2-1989 21 to Butler Illinois State 67-59 OT
02-19-2008 21 to Wichita State Indiana State 83-73 OT
01-23-2019 21 to UNI Southern Illinois 70-62
Quincy Anderson's chase to be a career 1,000-point scorer was boosted with a performance of seven points off the MSU bench.
Anderson has 83 career games played combined with Murray State and Minnesota State and has 953 points.
The 14 rebounds by DJ Burns was one off his career-high of 15 twice: vs Middle Tenn. (12-04-2021) and vs Tulsa (11-20-2022).
About three minutes into the second half, the Racers went to the bench for a spark with a lineup of Justin Morgan, Braxton Stacker, Quincy Anderson, Brian Moore, Jr., and Sam Murray II.
Morgan had three steals in nine minutes of playing time.