Sophomore forward Jeffery Moss hits one of seven 3-pointers on his way to a career-high 31 points against Tennessee Tech.
The Racers wasted no time ruffling the feathers of the Golden Eagles. Led by a career-high 31-point performance from sophomore guard Jeffery Moss, Murray State looked like it took the court with a vengeance in a dominant 92-53 win.
“It felt pretty good,” Moss said. “I was out there having fun.”
The entire team seemed to share his high spirits, as all the players could do was smile when senior guard Dexter Fields hit his third 3 of the night to put the team up 85-43.
Fields started the Racers off hot, draining a 3-pointer to give the Racers a one-point lead that would never be questioned.
From there, Moss took over for the Racers. He hit three consecutive shots from long range on his way to the first 30-point game for a Racer since Feb. 28, 2013.
“I credit my teammates,” he said. “They were getting me open.”
Junior forward Jarvis Williams said Moss’ performance makes playing easier.
“It feels great to me because when he’s flowing it gets the arena going,” Williams said. “On his fourth one, I started getting chills. It just feels good to have him hitting big shots.”
Williams also put up big numbers for the team. In 28 minutes of play, he pulled down 15 rebounds and posted 12 points.
Helping Williams pull the ball off the glass was junior forward Jonathan Fairell, who finished with 10 rebounds.
Freshman guard Cameron Payne (1) goes up for a shot during the game against the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles Thursday night.
“When we out-rebound teams, we usually win the games,” Williams said. “When both of us are clicking on the rebounds, it can only help.”
The Racers earned 15 more rebounds than Tennessee Tech. When out-rebounding opponents this season, Murray State has yet to lose.
Tennessee Tech never had a chance against the formidable home team. After starting the game hitting 16 of 25 field goals and eight of 12 3-pointers, Murray State only slightly cooled down.
The Racers ended the night hitting 52 percent of their shots and shot 57 percent from long range.
Even when the pace slowed and the bench took the court, the lead hardly waivered. The team cruised to a 92-53 win over the Golden Eagles, moving the Racers to 6-1 in the conference.
The Racers now have a quick turnaround, as they host Jacksonville State Saturday. Last season, the Gamecocks shocked Murray State by winning with a pair of last-second free throws.
Williams said he knows every game is important this late in the season.
“We’ve just got to come out and pick each other up and play hard because it’s conference time, and everybody has to play as hard as they can,” he said.
Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Story by Ryan Richardson, Sports Editor