The Murray State Racers dropped a 74-70 defeat to the Austin Peay Governors in Clarksville, Tennessee on Monday night at the Dunn Center.
The Racers (4-3) have started play in the Ohio Valley Conference at 1-1 after splitting two games with Austin Peay. MSU returns to action for a game with the Belmont Bruins (Dec. 30) at the Curb Event Center in Nashville, Tenn.
Tevin Brown scored 18 points, but needed one more to fall with 11 seconds left that would’ve tied the game. Justice Hill scored a career-high 17 points and KJ Williams was 5-of-5 from the field for 13 points, while DaQuan Smith added 10 points off the bench.
Leading 39-33 at halftime, the Racers used an 8-0 run on four-consecutive defensive stops to take a 45-35 lead with 12:23 remaining on a layup by Smith. APSU turned the game in their favor with a 16-5 run over the next 5:18 to take the lead at 61-60 with 7:05 left. Down by four, the Racers rallied and had a chance to tie the game on Brown’s 3-point try in the final frantic seconds.
At the game’s start, Brown hit MSU’s first 3-pointer at 17:05 for their first lead as part of a 7-0 run. MSU pushed to a 7-point lead moments later at 18-11 on a three-point play by Williams. The Racers’ largest lead of the half came with 7:20 left on a 3-pointer by Hill when MSU led by 10 points. He hit another in the final minute of the half and Smith hit a pair of free throws with 4.7 remaining to keep MSU in front 39-33 at the halftime intermission.
The Racers’ usual 3-point production didn’t come through in this game as they went 0-of-8 in the second half and hit only 3-of-17, while the Govs hit 7-of-18 and outscored the Racers 21-9. The Racers also lost the rebound stat for the first time this season 31-23.
Game Notes
The Racers did a great job in limiting reigning OVC Player of the Year Terry Taylor to no points until he scored with 7:40 before halftime. Taylor had a big second half to score 30 for the game.
The Racers forced 15 Austin Peay turnovers, but gave it up 18 themselves. APSU had an edge of 22-17 in points off turnovers.
The Racers lost a game for the first time this season when leading at the half. MSU led 39-33, but was outscored 41-31 in the second half.
The game means the Racers and Govs have finished their regular season series of two games in December for the first time in either program’s history. The odd season of two games in December means the two rivals met five times in the calendar year of 2020.
The Govs also gain three points on the Racers in the annual Battle of the Border bragging rights rivalry contest.
Hey Coach Radio returns to Froggy 103.7 FM on Monday (Dec. 28) when head coach Matt McMahon and “Voice of the Racers” Neal Bradley talk Murray State basketball from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The show can also be heard on froggy103.com
After the Belmont game in Nashville (Dec. 30), the Racers return home to the CFSB Center to host the Morehead State Eagles in a women’s/men’s doubleheader (Jan. 2) with tip times of 4:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m