Story by Blake Sandlin
Interim Editor-In-Chief
With 23 seconds remaining in Friday’s OVC Tournament semi-final in Evansville, Indiana, the fate of Murray State’s season hung in the balance.
The Racers were down 74-73 to 3-seed Jacksonville State after senior forward Christian Cunningham converted a late-game layup. When the ball was tossed in bounds, every one of the 8,294 fans that crowded the Ford Center knew who would be taking the final shot.
Sophomore guard Ja Morant drove into the paint, quickly spun the other direction and collided with a Gamecock defender before quickly tossing up a mid-range prayer. The prayer was answered, as Morant knocked down the shot and drew a whistle with eight seconds remaining. He walked to the free-throw line, calmly converted the three-point play, and the Racers escaped with a 76-74 win.
You’ve seen this movie before. Morant for the win. Racers-Bruins for the title tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/o3H0lC2mWE
— Blake Sandlin (@BlakeSandlin) March 9, 2019
Down to the wire
Even after Morant’s bucket, Murray State wasn’t out of the woods. The Gamecocks hurried down the floor and kicked the ball to guard Detrick Mostella, who hoisted a three that barely grazed rim as the final buzzer sounded.
The hard-fought win was in question until the end, but when Morant got the ball on the final possession, those questions began to be answered.
“I was just trying to get a bucket, really,” Morant said. “I was trying to go early in the clock so we still had a chance. We ran a one-four flat, and I was able to come up with an and-one.”
That and-one comprised three of 29 points from Morant on the night, as he willed his team to victory by adding eight assists and six rebounds.
Gamecocks storm back
The sophomore phenom’s stat line was nearly in vain. Despite a strong first half display from Murray State that had it leading 42-33 at halftime. The Racers utilized a 14-2 run in the final minutes of the first half to put them in an ideal position heading into the second.
That hope went down the drain just minutes into the second half. The Racers drew first blood in the second half, but Jacksonville State immediately stormed back with an 8-0 run to cut the deficit to three. The Racers answered back, but minutes later the Gamecocks piled on yet another 8-0 run to gain a 53-48 lead with 11:52 remaining in the game.
Murray State Head Coach Matt McMahon said Jacksonville State’s run was fueled by the play of senior forward Jason Burnell, who converted 15 of his 22 points in the second half.
“They’ve been really good at [making runs] all season long,” McMahon said. “They lead our league in the percentage of points that come from twos. Burnell’s a tough matchup; he’s so skilled on the perimeter, he can score so well inside, and he’s second in the league in offensive rebounding. Really an elite player, and he puts you in some tough spots. I thought we got a little fatigue there and we weren’t very good in transition defense, and that cost us.”
Matt McMahon, Ja Morant and Shaq Buchanan addressed the media after a 76-74 win. The Racers take on Belmont for the OVC Championship at 7 p.m. tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/4MODnJ9G2r
— MSU Sports News (@MSUSportsNews) March 9, 2019
Record crowd
Murray State fans came out in droves to support their team at the Ford Center, prompting a new record to be set. Friday night’s attendance of 8,294 marked the largest-ever neutral site attendance record in OVC Tournament history, beating the previous record of 8,145 set in a 1993 championship game between Murray State and Tennessee State.
“It just felt like a home game to us,” Buchanan said. “We know we play good at home in front of our crowd. They came out tonight and helped us get that win. If it wasn’t for them, we’d probably still be down. We just fed off their energy.”
The stars were out
Ja Morant wasn’t the only celebrity in the building Friday night. Instead, he was the main attraction for some of sports’ biggest names. Lakers President of Basketball Operations Magic Johnson was in Evansville scouting Morant, alongside thousands of ravid Murray State fans that caught his attention.
“Both teams deserve, Belmont and Murray State deserve to be in the NCAA tournament,” Johnson told ESPN during Friday’s broadcast. “I’m really proud of Murray State. Man, they brought a lot of people here. This is amazing.”
Stars are out. pic.twitter.com/0k5GE3fYlc
— Blake Sandlin (@BlakeSandlin) March 9, 2019
Morant said after the game he didn’t even realize the NBA Hall of Famer was in attendance, but he was honored.
“I honestly didn’t know he was there until the end of the game,” Morant said. “I just tried to stay focused between those four lines, but now that you say that, it does feel good to have him in the building.”
The crowd was also graced by the presence of NFL wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald, who watched the game from the stands with Phoenix Suns owner Robert Sarver.
Here we go again
It’s kismet, isn’t it? The matchup that has defined the OVC since Belmont entered the league in 2012 came to fruition with the Racers and Bruins’ victories Friday night. The two teams will be pitted against each other for the fourth time since 2012 and the second-straight year. In the last meeting, Murray State handled Belmont 68-51 to win its 16th OVC Championship in school history.
The question of whether or not the Racers can defend their OVC crown will be answered at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 9, when the teams duel for all the marbles at the Ford Center.
