Gage Johnson
Sports Editor
gjohnson17@murraystate.edu
The Panthers were able to get off 23 more shots than the Racers thanks to 44-28 rebounding advantage, but shot 39% and lost to Murray State 73-70.
With 11:01 to play in the second half, the Racers had built a 52-38 lead. 20 seconds later redshirt freshman guard DaQuan Smith landed awkwardly and his reaction left the CFSB Center silent.
Smith missed all of last year due to injury and in the moment it seemed as though, just as he had gotten comfortable and back to true from, it was ending.
Things seemed grim as he was helped off the floor and then the momentum of the game shifted drastically.
Down 14, EIU clawed their way back into the game and trailed 56-51 with 8:15 to play. Then miraculously, Smith checked back into the game 100% ready to go.
Head Coach Matt McMahon said he was thrilled to know that the injury was not as dire as it initially seemed and was pleased to see him come back to being the helm of the Racers’ offense.
“I was scared to death for him,” McMahon said. “From the reaction my first thought was that he was probably done for the year. I didn’t know what he had done, but he’s a tough kid. Credit to him for getting over there [with the] trainers and doctors and making sure he’s good to go. I thought he came back in and gave us some big minutes.”
McMahon felt as though it was the supposed injury that could’ve been the cause for EIU’s big run as it took the wind out of the Racers to see their teammate in pain.
“That was scary [and] I think it kind of took the steam out of our team,” McMahon said. “Everyone was very concerned about him. He’s one of the favorite guys on our team, because of his personality. He’s all about the team so guys really like and respect him, so I thought that was a struggle for us to respond there when that happened.”
As Smith checked back in, the game continued to be a nailbiter as the Panthers weren’t going away without a fight.
On back-to-back possessions EIU grabbed offensive rebounds and were able to gain points off of it. Just like that, Murray State and the Panthers found themselves in a one-possession ballgame with the Racers leading 61-60 with 4:18 left to play.
EIU made a living on the offensive glass, grabbing 22 offensive rebounds to Murray State’s six, and turned it into 23 second-chance points.
“I want to give a lot of credit to Eastern Illinois,” McMahon said. “I thought their physicality and their effort especially around the basket was tremendous. They just flat out kicked our butts on the offensive glass.”
Junior guard George Dixon specifically was glued to the glass, grabbing 15 boards and turning that into 10 points on 5-for-12 shooting.
While they both thought they were successful defensively, McMahon and sophomore guard Tevin Brown felt as though the Racers’ effort was lacking on the glass and that’s what allowed EIU to dominate in that facet of the game.
“I thought our defensive effort was awesome, until the release of the shot,” McMahon said. “Then we just turned and watched and hoped it would fall in our lap. Rebounding doesn’t work like that. Those rebounds go to whoever wants them the most and just from my first glance watching it live, I thought EIU wanted those rebounds a lot more than we did.”
Along with the effort in the battle of the boards, junior guard Josiah Wallace was powering the Panthers’ offense after only registering two points in the first half.
Wallace went for 22 points in the second half to finish the game with 24 points on 9-for-22 shooting.
McMahon said Wallace is an all-league type of player, but felt as though they made him work for all the buckets he got.
“I think he’s just so good off the dribble,” McMahon said. “He’s really crafty [with] his shot fakes and then his shot-making [is good]. He hit some tough shots. We didn’t want to over help in some situations and give up a penetrate and kick three, so he got his 24 points but it did take 22 shots to get it. I thought we made him work and earn everything he got.”
The Racers extended their lead to 69-66 after a crazy sequence for sophomore forward KJ Williams. McMahon said it was team-defining play and that he hopes the team will try to live by it as the season continues.
“I told Neal on the radio, ‘I don’t know maybe I’m too demanding, but I think that’s how the game should be played every possession,’” McMahon said. “He sprinted 94 feet, got a steal, saved it, sprinted 94 more feet, chased an offensive rebound and put the ball back in to give us a three-point lead. I thought that was a play that I want to define what our team is about.”
Murray State carried that lead into the final 18 seconds, owning a 73-70 lead with EIU holding for one last shot.
After a jump ball going the Panthers’ way with 4.5 seconds to play, Wallace came in after inbounding the ball and fired off a fadeaway three. As Wallace hit the floor, the shot did as well after clanging off the rim and giving Murray State the 73-70 win.
That missed three for EIU made them 4-for-17 from beyond the arc and 28-for-71 for the game. While the defense certainly held its own despite the disadvantage on the boards, Brown and the Racers offense did as well.
Murray State shot 50% from the field and 39% from beyond the arc, led by Brown’s 24 points on 7-for-15 shooting, 4-for-9 from three and 6-for-9 from the charity stripe.
Brown continues to light OVC defenses on fire and McMahon says that it’s not only Brown’s skill himself that allows him to shine, but the team’s ability offensively that helps him be so efficient.
“He’s really efficient offensively and Tevin would be the first to tell you, those aren’t just his baskets, those are Murray State’s baskets,” McMahon said. “We had great execution, some big time screens, great passes to free him up and then he stepped up and knocked them down.
Williams and freshman forward Demond Robinson were the only other Racers to finish in double figures. Williams finished with 14 points and nine rebounds and Robinson finished with 10 points on 4-for-4 shooting.
The win moves Murray State to 16-5 overall with a 9-0 OVC record and it will look to continue its dominance in the OVC against SIUE at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 1, at the CFSB Center.