C.J.Ford, sophomore guard from Fayetteville, N.C., struggles for the ball during the game at SIUE on Saturday.
Murray State lost its first conference game of the season Saturday afternoon as the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Cougars erased the Racers’ 37-32 halftime lead en route to a 67-60 victory.
The Racers’ offense went dry in the second half, shooting 33 percent from the field, including 2-12 from 3-point range.
SIUE, on the other hand, shot 50 percent from the field and came up big defensively in the second half, limiting Murray State to 23 points.
The Cougars took the lead on a Christian Seliech 3-pointer with 8:22 to play, and they never looked back.
Murray State’s leading scorer, freshman guard Cameron Payne, struggled throughout the game, accumulating nine points and three assists while committing four turnovers.
The Racers also struggled in the paint as junior forward Jonathan Fairell racked up multiple fouls at the beginning of both halves, limiting him to 13 minutes of play.
Sophomore guard Jeffery Moss led the team in scoring, putting up 17 points in 38 minutes of play. Other top scorers included junior guard T.J. Sapp with 11 points and senior guard Dexter Fields with 10.
The loss drops Murray State to 10-8 on the season and 5-1 in conference play. The Racers maintain a two-game lead over the Cougars for the top spot in the OVC West, and are tied with Belmont for the top overall position in the conference.
The Racers can try to return to their winning ways at home as they host Tennessee Tech (10-10, 3-2) Thursday and Jacksonville State (9-13, 3-4) Saturday.
Murray State and Tennessee Tech tip off at 7 PM Saturday night at the CFSB Center.