MURRAY, Ky. – N.J. Benson’s free throw with 7:34 left in the game drew visiting Missouri State within three points of Murray State, but the hot-shooting Racers ended the game on a 13-6 run to put the Bears away down the stretch, 82-72, in a Valley battle here Wednesday.
Matthew Lee led Missouri State with 22 points and 7 assists, while Chance Moore scored 21 for the Bears (14-12, 6-9 MVC), while Cesare Edwards contributed 10 points.
Murray State (11-15, 8-7) was led by Nick Ellington’s 23 points, while Jacobi Wood contributed 12 points and 10 assists for the Racers.
In the first half, the Bears ended the period on an 11-1 run to lead 37-35 at the midway point. Damien Mayo Jr.’s tip-in off a miss by Alston Mason beat the buzzer to give the visitors a two-point advantage at the break.
The half did not begin with such good fortune. The Racers made their first five field goal attempts, including four treys, while Missouri State missed its first seven, to push Murray State up 16-0 in the first three minutes of the contest.
The Bears responded with a 13-0 surge of their own with Cesare Edwards’ hook shot at the 13:37 mark making it a 16-13 game. Lee then dropped in a couple jumpers for the visitors before Mason’s layup at the 10:23 mark tied the game, 19-19,
Ellington ignited a final Racers push before the intermission, scoring 10 of his club’s 15 points over the next seven minutes to give Murray a 34-26 lead. But coach Dana Ford’s club used an 11-1 run before the half to snag the lead back with two buckets from Moore and two go-ahead buckets from Mayo.
The second half started with a furious pace with 36 points scored between the teams before the first media timeout. The Racers made 16 of their first 19 field goal attempts in the second half to push ahead 69-61. But Lee and Benson closed the game to 69-66 after Benson’s free throw at the 7:34 mark.
But Ellington and Wood carried the Racers to the finish line as Missouri State made just one of its last eight shots down the stretch to fall by ten. The Racers shot 21-of-28 (.750) in the second half.
The Bears finished 27-of-60 (.450) overall, 7-of-25 (.280) from long range and 11-of-16 (.688) from the foul line with 9 turnovers.
Murray State was 33-of-61 (.541) overall, 8-of24 (.333) from distance and 8-of-15 (.533) at the line with a 35-32 rebounding advantage and 8 steals.
The Bears return to Great Southern Bank Arena next Saturday to square off Valparaiso on the team’s annual Rebound Foundation Game.
