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Murray State exacts revenge against Tennessee State

Feb 24, 2012 - 5:33 AM Nashville, TN (Sports Network) - Murray State emphatically avenged its lone loss of the season Thursday, as the 14th-ranked Racers rolled to an 80-62 victory over Tennessee State behind 12 three-pointers.

Isaiah Canaan, the favorite for Ohio Valley Conference Player of the Year, drained five from behind the arc en route to a 24-point effort, while Donte Poole added 16 points, including a three-pointer to cap Murray State's 14-0 run to end the first half.

The Racers (27-1, 14-1 OVC) dropped a 72-68 decision against Tennessee State earlier this month, but have since won four straight, including a 65-51 victory over nationally-ranked Saint Mary's last Saturday.

The Tigers (19-11, 11-5) had their nine-game winning streak snapped despite Robert Covington totaling 24 points and 15 rebounds in the team's regular season finale. The rest of Tennessee State's starters shot 3-for-19 (16 percent) from the field.

Tennessee State was within 31-28 before the OVC champions took control with four three-pointers in the final 2 1/2 minutes before intermission.

Zay Jackson added a layup during the quick flurry, and Poole's trey from the left corner beat the buzzer to give the Racers a suddenly healthy 45-28 lead.

The Tigers pulled within 10 early in the second half before Murray State's 12-2 run put the hosts in an insurmountable deficit.

Latreze Mushatt's three-pointer capped the spurt for a 58-38 advantage, and the Racers cruised over the final 13 minutes.

Game Notes

The Tigers, the No. 2 seed in the OVC Tournament, are just one win away from reaching 20 wins for the first time since 1978-79...Tennessee State, which has not swept Murray State since the 1992-93 season, finished 11-2 at home...The Tigers shot 2-of-15 from three-point range...Kellen Thornton netted 17 points and pulled down 10 rebounds for the Tigers...Jackson scored 11 points for the Racers, who shot 57 percent from the field...The Racers wrap up regular season play at Tennessee Tech on Saturday...The crowd of 10,125 was the largest ever for a basketball game at at the Gentry Center.