Second Half Rally Falls Short For MSU at Indiana State

Wednesday, December 18

Terre Haute, IND.

6 p.m.

Murray State

6-4,1-1MVC

Indiana State

7-4,2-0MVC

Murray St.

Indiana St.

Photo by: Dave Winder-Murray State Athletics

Second Half Rally Falls Short For MSU at Indiana State

12/18/2024 8:34:00 PM | Men's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

The Murray State Racers nearly overcame a 22-point deficit, but ultimately fell short in an 84-74 loss to the Indiana State Sycamores at Hulman Center in Terre Haute.

The Racers (6-4) fell to 1-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference and now hit the road for Honolulu for three games (Dec. 22-25) at the Hawaiian Airlines Diamond Head Classic. The Racers' meet Nebraska Sunday in their first game at 8 p.m. Central Time on ESPN.

Kylen Milton led four Racers in double-figure scoring with his MSU-best 18 points and four steals. JaCobi Wood added 15 points, while MSU got 13 points from Terence Harcum and 12 from AJ Ferguson.

Early on the Racers jumped to a 16-11 lead when Wood hit a pair of threes and scored on a layup with 11:41 left, but the Sycamores used a run of four-straight 3-point baskets and seven for the half to lead 41-26 at the intermission.

With 13:09 remaining in the game, the Racers trailed by 22, but began to climb closer to the home-standing Sycamores.

After forcing a 5-second call, the Racers finally cut the Sycamores' lead to under 10 points to on a pair of free throws from wood at 6:03 to make it a 69-61 game. Any on-looker had the feeling the Racers were in it to the end.

Harcum hit a pair of threes to get the Racers to four points of ISU at 1:33, but never got the contest to a one-possession game.

Game Notes

The Racers had a poor first half in shooting just 34 percent (10-29) and 3-11 from the 3-point line for 27 percent.
In the second half, MSU shot 38 percent from the field (14-29).
Indiana State won the rebound stat 35-27, the Racers have lost the stat in the last two games of defeats to WKU and Indiana State.
MSU's 22-point deficit was a season-high in the first 10 games, as their previous deepest hole was 18 points at Pittsburgh in the second half (Nov. 8)
The Racers surely need to get their 3-point touch back, as they are 13-44 in the last two games for 29 percent.
Terence Harcum has hit a 3-pointer in all 10 games this season for the Racers.
The Racers play starting Sunday in the Diamond Head Classic when they take on Nebraska.
The Racers have met the Cornhuskers twice and have won both games.
MSU defeated Nebraska in and event in Puerto Rick in 1990 by an 81-79 final and again in Lincoln 79-71 in 2000.

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