Photo: Tab Brockman
The Murray State Racers clinched their 24th Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship with a 94-92 overtime victory over the Southeast Missouri State Redhawks at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau, Mo.
The Racers (23-4) stayed undefeated in the OVC at 13-0 and pushed the nation’s second-longest winning streak to 21. The SEMO Redhawks fell to 12-14 and 6-7.
Three T.J. Sapp free throws with 2.6 seconds remaining sent the game into overtime. This after MSU trailed 73-63 with 5:18 left and used a 15-5 run to get back into the game.
Starting the extra period with a 6-0 run, the Racers led 91-85 when Jarvis Williams hit a pair of free throws with 3:03 left. But SEMO answered with a 7-0 run to take the lead with 1:12 left. Tyler Rambo hit two free throws with 33.8 seconds left and MSU was in front for good 93-92. Wayne Langston made a steal with 19 seconds left to keep SEMO off the scoreboard. After Sapp hit one free throw with 15.9 left, the Redhawks missed at the buzzer and the Racers won the OVC title.
The Racers played quite a few minutes without leading scorer Cameron Payne who fouled out with 2:43 left in regulation. Payne had 26 points including 12-of-14 from the line. Jarvis Williams fouled out in overtime and had 16 points and nine rebounds, while Jeffery Moss pumped in 18 points on 7-of-11 shooting. Jonathan Fairell fouled out in the extra time and ended the day with 13 rebounds. The hero Sapp had 17 points.
The Racers lost the lead with 7:37 remaining in the first half and didn’t regain it until there was 4:10 left in overtime.
SEMO led the Racers 43-38 at halftime.
The Racers return to action Saturday (Feb. 21) when they host Austin Peay at 1 p.m. at the CFSB Center in Murray, Ky. The game will be televised by the CBS Sports Network.
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Game Notes
The Racers clinched the OVC regular season championship outright with the win tonight. MSU leads the OVC with their 24th title and their fourth in the last six seasons. The championship is the second for Head Coach Steve Prohm after they won the title in his rookie season in 2011-12.
The Racers 21-game win streak is near the program and OVC record of 23 which was set in the 2011-12 season.
The Racers continue to have a great season away from home. Tonight was their ninth win in a row on the road. MSU’s 10 total road wins this season is tied for the national lead with Gonzaga (West Coast) and Albany (American East). The Racers’ program record is 16 which was set during the entire 2011-12 season and the first part of the 2012-13 season. MSU has also won seven straight OVC games away from home. MSU’s last loss was last March at SEMO in double overtime.
Racer head coach Steve Prohm is now 98-27 (.784) in his fourth season at MSU. Already the fastest to 25, 50 and 75 wins, he will also be the fastest once he reaches the century mark. Prohm is 51-10 (.836) in OVC games.
Jarvis Williams is chasing the 1,000 point mark in his MSU career. After his 16 points tonight, he has 924. Jeffery Moss had 18 points tonight and has 879.
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