Murray State beats Southern Illinois 80-52
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Ja Morant scored 23 points, distributed 13 assists and grabbed five rebounds, Tevin Brown added a career-high 20 poins with 6 of 11 3-pointers, and Murray State beat regional rival Southern Illinois 80-52 on Wednesday night to win its third straight.
Brion Whitley added a career-high 10 and KJ Williams blocked two shots and scored 10 points for the Racers (6-1), who made 11 of 26 3-pointers and held the Salukis to 31 percent shooting.
The Racers hit three 3-pointers in their opening 13-5 run and Murray State pulled away on 20-3 run capped by Brown's 3 and led 49-18 at halftime.
It's the lowest amount of points the Racers have allowed in a half since giving up 16 points to SIU Edwardsville on Feb. 12, 2015.
Williams dunked for a 59-29 Murray State lead early in the second half and the Racers led 75-45 with 4:30 to play after scoring seven straight.
Eric McGill scored 19 points and grabbed nine rebounds, Aaron Cook added 14 points and Sean Lloyd Jr. scored 11 for Southern Illinois (7-4), which saw its five-game win streak end.
Game Information
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
