(MURRAY, Ky.) — Murray State made sure its seniors went out in style Saturday afternoon, cruising past Evansville 88-75 in front of a home crowd at CFSB Center to cap Senior Day in dominant fashion.
The Racers never let the Purple Aces get comfortable, building a lead as large as 16 points in the second half and holding Evansville at arm’s length for much of the afternoon. Murray State shot 41.7 percent from the floor and a sterling 92.3 percent from the free-throw line, going 24-of-26 from the charity stripe to seal the win.
Domon and Tenner Lead the Way
Roman Domon and KJ Tenner each paced Murray State with 20 points, giving the Racers a dynamic one-two punch that Evansville couldn’t answer. Domon was especially efficient, finishing 5-of-9 from the field and 8-of-9 from the free-throw line to go along with eight rebounds. Tenner contributed five rebounds and three assists while knocking down three triples.
Mathis Courbon chipped in 11 points off the bench, and Javon Jackson added 13 on 4-of-12 shooting, connecting on three from beyond the arc.
A Game That Got Away from Evansville
Evansville actually showed signs of life early, taking its largest lead of 14 points in the first half at 28-14. The Aces held a 41-39 advantage as late as the 17-minute mark of the second half — but from that point forward, Murray State outscored Evansville by 15 points the rest of the way and never trailed again.
AJ Casey led Evansville with 19 points but needed 18 field goal attempts to get there. Joshua Hughes added 16 and Alex Hemenway chipped in 14, but the Aces shot just 47.5 percent from the floor and were outpaced at the free-throw line, converting only 5-of-6 compared to Murray State’s 24-of-26.
Foul trouble was a factor for Evansville, with Bryce Quinet fouling out and four other Aces players finishing with three or more fouls.
Senior Day Celebration
The victory gave Murray State’s seniors a sendoff to remember at CFSB Center, with the Racers playing with energy and urgency in front of their home fans. The win continued to build momentum for a Murray State program looking to make its mark heading into the postseason stretch.
Up Next
Murray State (20-10) will close out the regular season on the road, traveling to Peoria to face Bradley on Sunday, March 1st before attention turns to the postseason and Arch Madness at Enterprise Center in St. Louis.
