Murray St defeats Akron 100-115
Murray St Edges Akron in Thrilling 115-100 Victory
The Murray State Racers came away with a hard-fought 15-point win over the Akron Zips, 115-100, in a non-conference matchup at Lee's Family Forum on Saturday night.
As the visiting team, Murray St's Layne Taylor led the charge, scoring 23 points and dishing out eight assists to go along with six rebounds. However, it was the Racers' balanced offense that truly proved decisive, as they shot 71.0% from the field and 36.2% from the free throw line.
Akron's Tavari Johnson led the Zips in scoring, putting up 28 points on 66.7% shooting from the field. Despite a strong all-around effort from Evan Mahaffey (6 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals), Akron struggled to contain Murray St's potent offense.
The turning point of the game came at halftime, when Murray St took a slim 47-42 lead. The Racers continued to build on that advantage in the second half, outscoring Akron by 18 points over the final 20 minutes.
Murray St's ability to limit Akron's three-point shooting was a key factor in their victory. The Zips hit just 39.0% of their attempts from beyond the arc, while Murray St shot 56.0%.
The win improves Murray State's record to [insert record], while Akron falls to [insert record]. With this result, Murray St moves closer to its goal of making a deep run in the tournament.
Game Stats
* Field Goals: Murray St (40/69), Akron (37/76)
* 2-Point FG: Murray St (22/37), Akron (30/58)
* 3-Point FG: Murray St (18/32), Akron (7/18)
* Free Throws: Murray St (17/25), Akron (19/25)
* Rebounds: Murray St (42), Akron (34)
* Assists: Murray St (23), Akron (19)
* Turnovers: Murray St (18), Akron (8)
Advanced Statistics
* eFG%: Murray St (71.0%), Akron (53.3%)
* FT Rate: Murray St (36.2%), Akron (32.9%)
* OREB%: Murray St (35.7%), Akron (44.1%)
Game Notes
The Jack Jones Classic marked a milestone for both teams, as they each look to build momentum in the non-conference schedule.
With this win, Murray State solidifies its position among the top contenders in the league, while Akron seeks to bounce back from this tough road loss.