Story by Blake Sandlin, Assistant Sports Editor
Murray State men’s basketball’s comeback effort was so monumental it brought the roof down – literally.
The Racers pulled off a comeback so impressive Saturday night that with 5:49 remaining in the game, lightning struck the Dunn Center, prompting a three hour delay. The delay didn’t deter the Racers from fulfilling their championship aspirations, though, as Murray State went on to win the game 73-64 and secured the OVC regular season championship.
Saturday’s win marked the Racers’ 25th OVC regular season championship. With Belmont’s win hours before, Murray State needed to win its matchup with the Governors in order to clinch the title outright. They did just that, executing a 23-point swing to clinch the No. 1 seed in the OVC tournament.
Austin Peay, led by freshman guard Terry Taylor, hit their stride early to open up an 8-2 lead. With 10:19 to go in the first, freshman guard Ja Morant knocked down two free throws to knot the game at 17.
However, the Governor’s had just begun. They went on a 20-6 run to close out the half and entered the halftime break owning a daunting 14-point lead. The Racers went the entirety of the first half without a single three-point field goal.
The Racers exited the locker room facing the 2nd-largest deficit they’ve ever encountered. On the line was sole possession of the regular season title, their 10 game winning streak and the No. 1 seed in the OVC tournament.
But Murray State wasn’t rattled. They opened the half on a 20-5 run in an astonishing six minute stretch to gain their first lead of the night, 43-42, with 14:36 remaining in the game. While Austin Peay would hang around for the next few minutes, the defensive intensity that the Racers’ employed in their second half run deflated any potential momentum.
This is an away game, but don’t tell Racer Nation that. pic.twitter.com/zVuhyxOQuI
— MSU Sports News (@MSUSportsNews) February 25, 2018
The Racers had improved their lead 63-52 when a loud crash from a lightning strike resonated throughout the arena around 9 p.m., followed by a steady stream of water that began to leak from the roof of the arena for over two and a half hours. Debris from the roof and rain water littered the arena, leaving staff to attempt to clean up the wreckage. Players and fans were instructed to exit the main gym while staff attempted to quell the leak and return to action.
Water is still coming in. pic.twitter.com/uuwjrZ8xIU
— Ryan C. Hermens (@ryanhermens) February 25, 2018
At 12 a.m., the courts were deemed suitable for play to continue. After waiting three hours to resume play, the OVC championship felt almost palpable for the Racers, and they played like it. They neutralized Austin Peay’s offense, and ultimately put the nail in the coffin when senior guard Jonathan Stark nailed a contested three with just over a minute remaining to punctuate the Racers’ 73-64 win and cement a 16-2 conference record.
“I just want to thank God for this amazing opportunity and giving us the chance to win this game,” Stark said after the game. “We went through a lot of adversity; we’ve been going through a lot of adversity all year. This team, I just can’t thank them enough. We’re amazing. We’ve just got to stay focused. We clinched the first seed, and I just want to thank them and the coaches as well. We’re not done yet.”
Stark finished the game with 31 points, his fourth 30-point game this year. Morant added 16 points and nine rebounds, while senior forward Terrell Miller contributed eight points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Stark said he’s never experienced anything quite like what he felt Saturday night.
“Never in my life have I been apart of something like this,” Stark said. “This is one of the best feelings ever. I’ve never won it since I’ve been in college, and it’s just an amazing feeling. I thank God for it.”
Head Coach Matt McMahon said his players took charge at halftime to address their defensive woes, and the rest fell into place.
“It’s not my team; it’s our players team,” McMahon said. “And they figured out at halftime what needed to be done defensively, and it led to some transition baskets for us. Really, until the ceiling caved in, that was some of the best basketball I’ve seen in the first 14 minutes of that second half.”
The 2017-18 OVC regular season champions. pic.twitter.com/SyTOpoxC1V
— Blake Sandlin (@BlakeSandlin) February 25, 2018
The win also improved Murray State’s winning streak to 11. They are now tied with Michigan State and Gonzaga for the longest winning streak in the nation.
Perhaps overshadowed by Saturday’s championship performance was Stark’s groundbreaking personal achievement. The senior guard passed former Racer De’Teri Mayes (1996-98) to become the all-time two-year scoring leader in Racer history with 1,353 points.
With the Racers’ win, the OVC tournament bracket is officially set. Murray State will receive a double-bye in the tournament for the semi-finals. They will await the winner of Wednesday’s matchup between No. 5 Tennessee Tech and No. 8 SIUE. The victor of that game will face No. 4 Jacksonville State in the quarter-final. The survivor will then go on to face the Racers on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m. at the Ford Center in Evansville, Indiana.
