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Canaan helps Murray State beat Saint Mary's

Feb 19, 2012 - 1:44 AM Murray, KY (Sports Network) - Isaiah Canaan scored a game-high 23 points while shooting 5-for-8 from three-point range to lead No. 16 Murray State past No. 21 Saint Mary's, 65-51, at CFSB Center.

Donte Poole added 11 points and six rebounds for Murray State (26-1), which was playing its first game as a ranked team against a ranked opponent.

Ivan Aska and Ed Daniel netted eight points apiece in the Racers' third straight win after their lone loss of the season.

Matthew Dellavedova was the lone member of Saint Mary's (23-5) to record double digits with 17 points as the Gaels dropped their third contest in four tries. Dellavedova also had six assists, giving him 512 for his career and making him the all-time leader for Saint Mary's.

Saint Mary's never led in the game and only tied the score once, when Dellavedova's jumper knotted the game at two within the first minute of the contest.

It was all Murray State from there, as the Racers pulled away with a 10-3 run and held that lead for the rest of the game.

The Gaels managed to close the gap to 17-15 with nine minutes left in the first half with a brief 6-0 spurt, but a Zay Jackson three-pointer put an end to the swing and the teams traded baskets for the remainder of the frame en route to a 34-25 Murray State lead at the break.

After trading 6-2 runs over the opening six-plus minutes of the second half, Murray State pulled away for good with a 12-2 spurt for a 54-35 lead just past the midpoint of the frame.

The Racers then held a double-digit lead for the remainder of the game as they held the Gaels to 29.6 percent shooting in the second half, including a 1- for-8 mark from beyond the arc.

Game Notes

Saint Mary's leads the all-time series between the teams, 2-1...The Gaels fell to 71-12 against non-conference opponents over the last seven years...The game was Murray State's last home game of the season. The Racers finished with a 13-1 mark at CFSB Center...Jackson finished with five points for Murray State...Saint Mary's shot 37.7 percent from the floor in the game, while Murray State connected on 58.1 percent of its shots.