Jarvis Williams tallied a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds as the Murray State Racers narrowly edged out the Missouri State Bears, 66-63, in the first round of the CollegeInsiders.com Tournament at JQH Arena.
Cameron Payne scored 19 points and grabbed five rebounds for Murray State (19-11), which will advance to the second round to face an opponent that's yet to be determined. Jeffery Moss chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds in the win.
Jarmar Gulley scored 13 points and pulled down eight rebounds to pace Missouri State (20-13). Dorrian Williams netted 12 points and dished out five assists, and Tyler McCullough contributed 11 points in the loss.
Missouri State hit 42.4 percent of its shots from the floor in the first half, and made 5-of-17 from 3-point range to help the team take a slim 37-36 lead into the midway break. Murray State connected on 46.4 percent of its field goal tries in the frame, and made 4-of-8 from deep.
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The Racers hung tough in the second half, netting 35.5 percent of their shots and just 1-of-10 from 3-point distance, but managed to still grab the lead with under a minute left to play, which they were able to secure on a pair of Payne free throws. The Bears hit an even 40 percent of their shots in the period, and made just 2-of-7 from beyond the arc.
Murray State had a 14-9 advantage in second chance points, and outscored Missouri State from the free-throw line, 13-8. The Bears had the edge in bench scoring, 17-2.
[SportsNetwork.com]
