NCAA News Wire
Murray State 85, Towson 73
Alan is an expert gambling writer who works as one of the chief editors for Basketball Insiders. He has been covering online gambling and sports betting for over 8 years, having written for the likes of Sportlens, Compare.bet, The Sports Daily, 90min, and TopRatedCasinos.co.uk. His particular specialisms include US online casinos and gambling regulations, and soccer and basketball betting. Based in London, Alan holds an MA in English Literature and is a passionate supporter of Chelsea FC.
All posts by Alan DraperUpdated7 hours ago on April 26, 2024
Murray State pulled away in the second half to advance to the College Insider.com Tournament semifinals, beating Towson 85-73 Thursday in a quarterfinal game at Murray, Ky.
The Racers (21-11) will play host to Pacific (18-15) next Tuesday, with the winner moving on to the April 3 title game against Yale or VMI.
Towson (25-11) led 39-36 at the half, with guard Mike Burwell and forward Jerrelle Benimon combining for 29 points. However, the seniors managed a total of just nine after intermission as the Tigers couldn’t maintain their momentum in their third consecutive CIT road game.
The game was tied at 57 after a jumper by Tigers guard Rafriel Guthrie with 9:46 to play, but the Racers went on a 24-6 run to take control. The Tigers shot 2-for-7 from the field over that stretch and turned the ball over three times while allowing Murray State to score on 12 out of 13 possessions.
Four of Murray State’s five starters finished in double figures, led by guard Cameron Payne, who scored 24 points. The Racers torched the Tigers defense from the perimeter, making 10 of 23 3-point attempts.
Burwell’s 20 points led the Tigers, and Benimon added 18.
Coach Pat Skerry took out seniors Benimon, Burwell, Guthrie and forward Marcus Damas for the final time in their college careers with 1:41 to play. Benimon next will take the court on April 4 as part of the 2014 Reese’s College All-Star Game in Dallas, the site of this year’s Final Four.
