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Undefeated Murray State shocks No. 21 Memphis

Dec 12, 2011 - 4:38 AM Memphis, TN (Sports Network) - Donte Poole hit six three-pointers and scored 20 points, as Murray State downed No. 21 Memphis, 76-72, on Sunday.

Isaiah Canaan had 15 points and seven assists, Ed Daniel added 13 points and nine rebounds and Ivan Aska finished with 12 points for the Racers (10-0), who shot 45 percent (9-of-20) from three-point range.

"Our guys were tremendous tonight, and our effort was great," said Racers coach Steve Prohm.

Will Barton poured in a game-high 27 points in defeat. Joe Jackson chipped in 20 points and Tarik Black had 11 and nine boards for the Tigers (5-3), who saw their three-game win streak come to an end.

The Racers held a 71-60 lead with 1:58 remaining, but the Tigers unleashed a late flurry, reeling off a quick 12-2 run. Jackson capped the burst with a layup, making it 73-72 with 14 seconds left.

Canaan then made it a three-point game with a pair of free throws and Chris Crawford missed a trey on the other end. Murray State's Zay Jackson grabbed the defensive rebound and knocked down 1-of-2 foul shots to seal the final result.

"Our guys battled back late," said Memphis coach Josh Pastner. "We were playing out of desperation. We had some chances, so I'm proud of the guys for giving effort in a lot of areas. In the end, we take a loss."

Though Memphis finished strong, it was the Racers who were hot early, hitting their first five shots from the field and taking an 11-2 lead on Canaan's dunk.

"We were able to start off the game in a positive way and let Memphis know we were going to be here and make it a long game," said Prohm.

Barton's layup cut the Memphis deficit to 17-16 midway through the opening half, but the Racers scored 12 straight points to re-establish a double-digit lead.

They took a 34-29 lead into the break, led by Daniel and Poole, who scored seven and six points, respectively, in the half.

Barton scored 12 points over the opening 20 minutes of play, but the Tigers went just 1-of-8 from beyond the arc.

Still, they chipped away, taking their first lead on Barton's three-pointer early in the second half. Again, though, Murray State responded, grabbing a 60-50 advantage with 10:53 remaining and keeping the Tigers at length until the closing minutes.

Game Notes

This was the first meeting between the teams since 2002. The Racers earned their first win over the Tigers since 1994...Prohm is in his first year as Murray State's head coach. His 10-0 start is the best for a coach in program history. The previous mark was a 9-0 start by Tevester Anderson in 1998-99.