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RICHMOND, Ky. – Visiting Murray State shot a blistering 61.7 percent from the floor on the way to an 88-74 victory over the Eastern Kentucky University men’s basketball team Saturday night in McBrayer Arena. The Colonels conclude the regular season 20-11 overall and 11-7 in the Ohio Valley Conference.

Murray State (27-4, 17-1 OVC) will be the top seed in the upcoming OVC tournament beginning Tuesday. Guards B.J. Jenkins and Isaiah Canaan each scored 22 points as both players connected on five three-pointers. As a team, the Racers netted 11-of-17 (64.7 percent) three-point attempts.

Junior Justin Stommes led six EKU players in double figures with 15 points. Junior Josh Daniel provided a spark off the bench with 12 points.

Back-to-back three-pointers from sophomore Joshua Jones and Stommes gave Eastern an early 22-17 lead. However, the Racers responded with 13 straight points sparked by three Canaan three-pointers to take control of the game, 30-22. Murray State would not trail the rest of the game.

A Jenkins three-pointer with 1:06 left before halftime put the Racers up by 13 points, 37-24. Jenkins and Canaan combined to go 7-for-7 from behind the arc in the first half as Murray State settled on a 37-26 cushion at intermission.

Another Jenkins trifecta with 16:01 to go gave Murray State its largest lead of the game, 48-30.

Eastern Kentucky would not go away quietly thanks to some bench support. A pair of three-pointers from Daniel sandwiched around senior Robin Mestdagh’s trifecta helped the Colonels close the gap to five points, 62-57, with 10:16 remaining. Unfortunately, EKU would get no closer.

Murray State scored on four of its next five possessions to quell any thoughts of a Colonel comeback. Danero Thomas’ only three-pointer of the night right before the shot clock was to expire put Murray State back up by 10 points, 71-61. The Racers then put the game away on the charity stripe by connecting on 13-of-15 (86.7 percent) free throws in the final five minutes.

The Racers not only shot the ball well, but controlled play on the boards by outrebounding EKU by 17, 40-23.

Eastern Kentucky finished the regular season tied for third in the OVC, but lost tie-breakers to both Austin Peay and Eastern Illinois. Thus, EKU will end up as the No. 5 seed and travel to No. 4 seed Eastern Illinois Tuesday, March 2. Game time will be 8:30 p.m. ET.