Clarksville, TN – Austin Peay State University was held to one bucket in the final two minutes of the game as Murray State pulled away for a 96-88 decision, Friday night, in Ohio Valley Conference action in the Dunn Center.
The loss dropped Austin Peay to 9-13 overall and 3-5 in the OVC while Murray State improved to 13-8 overall and 8-1 in league play.
By then Murray State’s T.J. Sapp converted a long three pointer and Jeffrey Moss a two-point lane jumper to give the Racers a 92-86 lead before Herring’s putback.
Murray State then converted its final four free throws for the final victory margin as APSU, including Herring’s buckets, made just one of its final seven shot attempts. .
Friday’s contest was one that saw a momentum shift in each half. The Racers ran out to a 41-24 first-half lead with 4:52 left in the half only to watch the Govs slice it to eight, 45-37, at halftime as Dexter Fields scored 14 points, largely on four three pointers.
It was the Govs’ turn early in the second half. The continuously sliced at the deficit until Chris Horton’s layup with 13:20 left tied it at 58. Murray State responded with an offensive tip in by Jarvis Williams, who had seven offensive rebounds in his 14 total. But Travis Betran came right back with a three pointer with 12:38 left to give APSU its first lead, 61-60, since the score was 4-2.
Then the contest bounced back and forth between the two teams. There would be five ties and eight lead changes in the final half. Damarius Smith appeared to give APSU a lift with a thundering dunk over Sapp and subsequent free throw to give APSU a 78-77 advantage.
Sapp immediately answered with a layup to give Murray State the lead, 78-77, with 5:24 left. Betran then nailed a three pointe to put APSU up 80-78 with 5:16 remaining. But that would be APSU’s final advantage as Sapp answered 16 seconds with a three pointer to lift Murray State to an 81-80 advantage.
Ed Dyson and Horton led the Govs with 19 points apiece. Horton also blocked six shots. Meanwhile, Betran and Smith each had 14 points, with the latter also contributing seven assists and six rebounds.
The Governors were out-rebounded 45-32, allowing 17 offensive boards, while connecting on 32 of 65 (49 percent) from the floor.
Box Score
Murray State vs Austin Peay
Friday, January 31st, 2014 | 8:00pm CT
Clarksville, TN | Dunn Center
Murray State 96
| Total | 3-point | Rebounds | ||||||||||||
| ## | Player | p | fgm-fga | fgm-fga | ftm-fta | off-def | tot | pf | tp | a | to | blk | stl | min |
| 02 | FAIRELL, Jonathan | f | 3-6 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 5-3 | 8 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| 04 | WILLIAMS, Jarvis | f | 12-16 | 0-0 | 4-9 | 7-7 | 14 | 2 | 28 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 33 |
| 01 | PAYNE, Cameron | g | 4-10 | 0-4 | 4-4 | 0-4 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 3 | 34 |
| 23 | FIELDS, Dexter | g | 6-11 | 5-7 | 0-2 | 1-1 | 2 | 2 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| 31 | MOSS, Jeffery | g | 6-11 | 2-5 | 0-0 | 0-3 | 3 | 4 | 14 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 |
| 11 | FORD, C.J. | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| 12 | RAMBO, Tyler | – | 2-7 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 2-1 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| 22 | SAPP, T.J. | – | 6-10 | 3-5 | 0-2 | 0-7 | 7 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| 35 | HENDERSON, Zay | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| TM | TEAM | – | – | – | – | 2-1 | 3 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Totals………….. | – | 39-71 | 10-21 | 8-17 | 17-28 | 45 | 24 | 96 | 20 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 200 | |
| 54.9% | 47.6% | 47.1% | ||||||||||||
| Team summary: | FG | 3FG | FT | |||||||||||
| 1st Half: | 20-36 | 5-11 | 0-2 | |||||||||||
| 55.6% | 45.5% | 0.0% | ||||||||||||
| 2nd Half: | 19-35 | 5-10 | 8-15 | |||||||||||
| 54.3% | 50.0% | 53.3% | ||||||||||||
Austin Peay 88
| Total | 3-point | Rebounds | ||||||||||||
| ## | Player | p | fgm-fga | fgm-fga | ftm-fta | off-def | tot | pf | tp | a | to | blk | stl | min |
| 10 | TRIGGS, Will | f | 2-6 | 0-0 | 5-7 | 0-2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 31 |
| 24 | DYSON, Ed | f | 7-14 | 0-1 | 5-7 | 3-4 | 7 | 2 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 33 |
| 05 | HORTON, Chris | c | 9-11 | 0-0 | 1-2 | 3-5 | 8 | 3 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 35 |
| 04 | BETRAN, Travis | g | 4-12 | 3-8 | 3-3 | 0-2 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 36 |
| 22 | SMITH, Damarius | g | 5-12 | 0-1 | 4-7 | 1-5 | 6 | 4 | 14 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 40 |
| 02 | WILLIAMS, Zavion | – | 2-6 | 0-2 | 3-3 | 2-0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 11 |
| 15 | FREEMAN, Chris | – | 1-1 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1-0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 21 | HERRING, Preston | – | 2-2 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1-0 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 |
| 23 | MBOUP, Serigne | – | 0-1 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| TM | TEAM | – | – | – | – | 1-1 | 2 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| Totals………….. | – | 32-65 | 3-12 | 21-31 | 12-20 | 32 | 16 | 88 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 200 | |
| 49.2% | 25.0% | 67.7% | ||||||||||||
| Team summary: | FG | 3FG | FT | |||||||||||
| 1st Half: | 11-28 | 0-4 | 15-19 | |||||||||||
| 39.3% | 0.0% | 78.9% | ||||||||||||
| 2nd Half: | 21-37 | 3-8 | 6-12 | |||||||||||
| 56.8% | 37.5% | 50.0% | ||||||||||||
| Score by Periods | 1st | 2nd | Total | |
| Murray State | 45 | 51 | 96 | Record: (13-8 (8-1 OVC)) |
| Austin Peay | 37 | 51 | 88 | Record: (9-13 (3-5 OVC)) |
| Points in the paint-MUR 44,APSU 56.Points off turnovers-MUR 9,APSU 16. |
| 2nd chance points-MUR 21,APSU 21.Fast break points-MUR 6,APSU 4. |
| Bench points-MUR 19,APSU 13.Score tied-6 times. Lead changed-10 times. |
| Last FG-MUR 2nd-00:26, APSU 2nd-00:21. |
| Largest lead-MUR by 17 1st-04:52, APSU by 3 2nd-12:16. |
| Officials: Steve Pyatt, Craig Murley, Coy GammonTechnical fouls: Murray State-None. Austin Peay-None.
Attendance: 4283 APSU Player of the Game: Chris Horton |
