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MOREHEAD, Ky. -- The Morehead State men’s basketball erased a 20-point deficit in just over 10 minutes and forced double overtime on Wednesday evening, but Murray State used a 7-0 run in the final period to post a 106-100 Ohio Valley Conference victory at Johnson Arena.
The Racers improve to 19-7 on the season, 10-4 in the OVC, 8-4 on the road and end a three-game road skid. The Eagles slip to 13-15 on the campaign, 7-7 in league play and 10-5 at home.
“You have to give Murray State a lot of credit tonight,” Head Coach Sean Woods said. “We gave them one heck of a blow in the second half, but they were poised and found a way to win.”
Murray State opened up its biggest lead of the night at 63-43 with 10:32 remaining in the second half, but Morehead State stormed back with a 36-16 run to force the two extra sessions.
“This outcome is certainly disappointing, but I’m still proud of my guys,” Woods said. “We could’ve thrown in the towel with 10 minutes to go, but we came back and fought until the very end.”
The Eagles opened the first overtime on a 7-0 run and led 86-79 with 2:44 remaining, but the Racers closed out the period on an 8-1 spurt to push the contest beyond 45 minutes.
The second extra session belonged to Murray State from start to finish. The Racers forced missed shots and turnovers, which led to 19 points over the final five minutes of the tilt.
“I felt like our press was pretty effective in the second half, but Murray State stayed the course,” Woods said. “We had trouble making shots and they scored every time they turned us over.”
Murray State recorded a 41-22 advantage in points off turnovers. The Racers knocked down 50 percent (32-of-64) from the field, including 37 percent from beyond the arc (10-of-27).
Murray State senior Isaiah Canaan poured in a game-high 35 points on 10-of-20 from the floor and 10-of-11 from the foul line. He is now just 76 points from 2,000 in his four-year career.
Canaan, a leading candidate for OVC Player of the Year, registered 17 of Murray State’s 27 points in the two extra periods. He hit 3-of-3 from long distance and 8-of-9 from the free-throw stripe.
“You have to tip your cap to Isaiah,” Woods said. “He showed tonight why he’s one of the best players in our league. He played 49 minutes and really willed his team to win down the stretch.”
Canaan was one of four Racers to notch double figures in the scoring column. Three of his classmates -- Ed Daniel (18), Brandon Garrett (16) and Stacy Wilson (10) -- combined for 44 points.
Morehead State senior Milton Chavis posted a team-best 22 points on 10-of-13 from the free-throw line. Junior Bakari Turner added 19 points -- all after halftime -- which matched his career high.
Senior Devon Atkinson collected just his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 assists. Senior Kahlil Owens (13) and sophomore Angelo Warner (12) also reach the 10-point plateau.
Junior Chad Posthumus paced Morehead State with 11 rebounds, which marked his fifth 10+ effort this year. MSU turned in a 48-37 advantage on the glass, including 23-13 on the offensive end.
Morehead State also managed a 45-18 advantage in bench points, 46-32 upper hand in paint points and 30-14 edge in second-chance points. The Eagles forced 22 turnovers, while committing 23.
Wednesday night was Senior Night at Johnson Arena. It marked the final home game for Atkinson, Chavis, Owens and Jason Holmes. The group was honored prior to the game in front of 3,317 fans.
Morehead State closes out regular-season action with three straight affairs on the road. The Eagles step out of conference action on Saturday for a BracketBusters game at Oakland (Mich.).
Morehead State will also travel to Tennessee State (Feb. 28) and Tennessee Tech (March 2) before the annual OVC Tournament begins on March 6 at Municipal Auditorium in Nashville.
