Murray State holds off Illinois State 78-72, wins 5 in a row
NORMAL, Ill. -- Terrell Miller Jr. scored 25 points, Shaq Buchanan added 16, and Murray State held off Illinois State 78-72 on Saturday to win its fifth straight.
The Racers scored 11 straight and pulled ahead 47-34 early in the second half for its largest lead of the game. The Redbirds closed to 70-68 on William Tinsley's 3, but Jonathan Stark replied with a 3 and the Racers led 75-70 on Jalen Durpree's layup with 1:26 left. Milik Yarbrough's jumper made it a three-point game, but Ja Morant sealed it with three free throws in the final 20 seconds.
Morant scored 15 points with nine rebounds, Stark had 13, and the Racers (6-1) outshot the Redbirds 50 percent to 41 percent.
Yarbrough scored a career-high 30 points on 10-of-19 shooting and Taylor Bruninga added 11 points for Illinois State (4-6).
Game Information
- Referees:
- Gerry Pollard
- Roland Simmons
- Gene Grimshaw
2024-25 Missouri Valley Conference Standings
| Team | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Drake | 10-2 | - | 20-2 |
| Bradley | 9-2 | 0.5 | 18-4 |
| Belmont | 7-4 | 2.5 | 15-7 |
| Northern Iowa | 7-4 | 2.5 | 13-9 |
| UIC | 7-5 | 3 | 14-8 |
| Illinois State | 6-6 | 4 | 14-9 |
| Evansville | 5-6 | 4.5 | 8-14 |
| Indiana State | 5-7 | 5 | 11-12 |
| Murray State | 5-7 | 5 | 11-12 |
| Southern Illinois | 5-7 | 5 | 10-13 |
| Valparaiso | 3-9 | 7 | 10-13 |
| Missouri State | 1-11 | 9 | 8-15 |
Men's College Basketball News
