Gage Johnson
Editor-in-Chief
In the closing moments of the fifth OVC Championship matchup between Murray State and the Bruins, in true Belmont fashion, a backdoor cut from fifth-year forward Tyler Scanlon led to a game-winning layup, dicing up the Racers hopes of a third straight OVC Championship.
Murray State men’s basketball had one more chance with a side inbound play with seconds remaining on the clock, but senior guard Jaiveon Eaves’ shot was blocked and the Bruins walked away with the 76-75 victory.
“We wanted to try and get the ball up the floor to Tevin with two seconds [so he] had time to take a dribble and make a play,” Head Coach Matt McMahon said. “I thought they made a smart play to double team him so we had a stagger screen on the weak side. We were looking to curl that and have KJ popping back, but our spacing got bogged down there. They didn’t have a man on the ball and it ended up being a good way to disrupt the timing and spacing of the action.”
This left the backdoor cut from Belmont—a signature of the Bruins’ offensive history—as the deciding play.
McMahon said that in the huddle during the timeout prior that they were expecting them to go with a play using a backdoor or slip action options, but were unable to stop it.
Meanwhile, Scanlon said that there was no doubt in their mind that the play would be successful.
“It’s a play we practice all the time,” Scanlon said. “That’s kind of just what it is. You do all that preparation so in the final moment there’s no nerves, it’s just execution. That’s really what it was, just second nature. I knew it was going to be there, it was just a matter of finishing the play.”
While this play will remain in the minds of the players, coaches and fans for years to come, it was an absolute war between Belmont and the Racers to get to this point.
The Bruins had total control of the game early on, as Murray State got off to a rough start offensively, as they trailed Belmont 23-15 while going 6-for-20 from the field.
But a late 8-0 run by the Racers capped off by a three-point play from sophomore guard Tevin Brown gave Murray State its first lead at 31-28 and from there on the lead for either team never got larger than six.
Belmont headed into the locker room holding a 33-32 lead, but in the second half the lead was being tossed around like it was a game of hot potato. It was evident the game would come down to the wire, and it did in the final three minutes.
Down 73-69, sophomore forward Nick Muszynski scored five straight points to put the Bruins up 74-73.
Muszysnki was critical for Belmont’s offense, finishing the night with 25 points on 10-for-15 shooting and eight rebounds en route to becoming the OVC Tournament MVP.
Musyznski struggled in the OVC Semifinals game and knowing that he didn’t do what his team needed to do, his mindset was to come out give them the best possible chance to claim the OVC Championship.
“This game was more of be a physical presence [and] be low, wide and in a stance,” Muszynski said. “Knowing that this game is a do-or-die game, I just really honed in on the little things. And these guys being as good shooters and cutters and screeners as they are, opens it up a lot for me. It gives me a little more space to operate, lets me see the floor a little better, so just kind of doing my part and doing the dirty work within the offense is kind of how it works.”
After sophomore guard Kunkel missed the front end of the one-and-one, the Racers responded as Brown broke a minute-long scoring drought in the game by sinking both free throws and taking a 75-74 lead with 11 seconds to play.
After multiple timeouts were called, Belmont switched its play call and the rest was history for the Bruins as they walked away with the 76-75 win, defeating Murray State in the OVC Championship for the first time in three straight seasons.
“Congratulations to Belmont on the victory,” McMahon said. “It was a heck of a basketball game. I think when you grow up dreaming of playing college basketball or have the opportunity to coach college basketball, these are the types of games you want to be in.”
While Scanlon had the game-winning play, he did much more than just that for Belmont. The Boston University transfer finished the night with 17 points on 7-for-10 shooting from the field and 3-for-5 shooting from three.
McMahon said that Scanlon’s experience is what really separated him on the floor and that he deserved to be an All-OVC team member.
“I think experience,” McMahon said. “He’s a fifth-year guy that was an all-league player at his last stop. I think at the four position he has great skill level and ability to shoot the three. He has the ability to the ball on the floor and make plays and I thought he was an all-conference player this year. I don’t know if fifth-year guys aren’t allowed to be on there or what the deal is, but I thought he was an all-league guy all season long. [He’s] a really good player.”
Kunkel was also critical for the Bruins scoring 14 of his 16 points in the first half, while sophomore guard Grayson Murphy also finished in double figures with 10 points, six rebounds and six assists.
Brown led the Racers with 17 points on 5-for-12 shooting from the floor, 2-for-4 from three and 5-for-6 from the charity stripe to go along with six assists and four rebounds.
Freshman forward Demond Robinson was the only other Murray State player to finish in double figures, scoring 14 points and grabbing six rebounds to pair with a monstrous six blocks.
“I thought he was really physical [and] he was active at that end of the floor,” McMahon said. “[He] made great effort plays around the basket. [He had] two offensive rebounds that led to some putbacks. [He] finished with 14 points and had blocks both guarding the bigs in the post and then also coming from the weak side making some multiple effort plays. I thought he was terrific.”
Murray State closes the season holding a 23-9 record and will lose senior guard Jaiveon Eaves and senior forward Anthony Smith.
Smith was the one guarding Scanlon when he slipped behind him to finish with a reverse layup, but McMahon said that the one play does not change what his legacy within Murray State basketball will be.
“He’s been a warrior,” McMahon said. “That’s the one thing I told him in the locker room. You can’t let one backdoor play define what he’s meant to Murray State basketball. [He’s been] one of my favorite guys ever to coach. You knew what you were gonna get every single day from him.”
Smith laid out the blueprint for underclassmen bigs like Robinson and sophomore forward KJ Williams and McMahon can’t thank him enough for it.
“He’s provided great leadership for our program,” McMahon said. “He’s set a great example for our young bigs like KJ and Demond that they need to now carry forward for the program. [I] can’t say enough good things about him. [He’s] just an absolute warrior and a winner.”
Smith said that his time at Murray State helped him mature as a man, taught him to take absolutely nothing for granted, to always learn from your mistakes and always persevere no matter what the situation is.
When asked what the next-step was for the program, McMahon said he just wants to make sure his players are in a good headspace after a devastating loss.
“I don’t know that we’re necessarily thinking about the long-term of the program right now,” McMahon said. “I just want to make sure our players are in a good place [and] make sure they have great peace of mind and perspective. Obviously everyone wants to win the championship. We’re heartbroken, we’re all disappointed, but we just want to make sure they’re in a good place right now.”
McMahon said that most of all he is thrilled with the growth of his team throughout the year and has learned a lot about his players and coaches. So while they are unhappy with the result, McMahon said it was a rewarding season.
The Racers future is uncertain as numerous postseason possibilities remain, so time will tell if Murray State will earn an NCAA Tournament bid or another postseason tournament bid. For the time being, the Racers have wrapped up its schedule holding on to a 23-9 record.
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(Photos by Gage Johnson/TheNews)
