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Box Score  

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – A second half stretch in which Eastern Kentucky University’s men’s basketball team scored just two points in about seven minutes doomed the Colonels in an 81-73 loss to Murray State University in the semifinals of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament.

The Colonels (24-9) took a 51-50 lead with 14:11 left in the game before the Racers (21-9) rolled off 11 unanswered to start a 16-2 run.  Two free throws by Jeffery Moss capped the run and gave Murray State a 13-point lead, 66-53, with 8:13 remaining.

EKU answered with a 12-3 run of its own to close the gap to four.  Two Glenn Cosey free throws got the Colonels within 69-65 with 3:37 showing on the clock, but the Racers scored the next seven points.

Eric Stutz led Eastern with 18 points.  Corey Walden and Cosey both added 13 points and seven rebounds.  Isaiah Canaan contributed 29 points for Murray State.  Stacy Wilson added 17.

MSU shot 58 percent from the field.  Eastern Kentucky made 39 percent of its shots.

NOTES
Eastern Kentucky finished with the second best record in the conference, but the Racers received the No. 2 seed as a result of finishing first in the West Division.

Eastern appeared in the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament for the 11th straight season.  EKU and Murray State are now the only two teams to have qualified for each of the last 11 OVC tournaments. 

The Colonels’ No. 3 seed is their highest since winning the 2007 crown as the No. 2 seed.

EKU entered the game third in the nation in free throw percentage (78.1 percent) and shot 83.3 percent (20-of-24) from the line tonight. 

Eastern is second in the nation in turnover margin (-6.2) but turned the ball over only two fewer times than Murray State tonight.