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MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State’s B.J. Jenkins hit the game-winning jumper with 2.4 seconds left in regulation to lift the host Racers to a 62-60 victory over the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team Thursday night in the Regional Special Events Center. This was the fifth straight year these two teams have met in the Ohio Valley Conference opener.

Senior Papa Oppong paced the Colonels (5-2, 0-1 OVC) with 18 points on 77.8 percent (7-of-9) shooting. Fellow senior Josh Taylor chipped in with 15 points and a team-high seven boards. EKU’s leading scorer, junior Justin Stommes, attempted just two shots and was held to two points.

Tony Easley led Murray State (6-1, 1-0) in both points (14) and rebounds (nine). Jeffery McClain came off the bench to add 12 points and eight rebounds.

Eastern Kentucky led throughout much of the game and built its biggest lead, 57-48, following a Taylor three-point play with 6:06 left. From there, the Murray State defense turned up the pressure and held the Colonels to one field goal the rest of the game.

The Racers finally regained the lead with 1:03 left thanks to a McClain lay-up to make the score 58-57. Eastern responded with a mid-range jumper from junior Spencer Perrin to go back on top, 59-58. Another McClain lay-in with 11 seconds left put Murray State back in the lead, 60-59.

Sophomore Joshua Jones was fouled on the ensuing inbounds pass, but proceeded to hit just one free throw to level the score at 60-all. Following a Murray State time-out, Jenkins came off a screen and netted the game-winning jumper from the left wing. The Colonels were unable to get off a potential tying shot.

Eastern Kentucky committed a season-high 20 turnovers in the loss. The Colonels had not committed more than nine turnovers in the previous six games.

The last four meetings between the two teams at Murray have been decided by a total of 10 points with each squad picking up two wins.

Eastern continues its OVC road trip this Saturday, Dec. 5 at UT Martin. Tip time is set for 7 p.m.