Murray State guard Tevin Brown dribbled out the final seconds as a raucous crowd of 4,847 stormed the floor at CFSB Center, celebrating the Racers’ stunning 78-71 upset of previously unbeaten Austin Peay on Thursday night.
Sophomore guard JaCobi Wood poured in a career-high 28 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including six three-pointers, to lead Murray State (8-4, 2-1 Missouri Valley Conference) past the Governors (11-1, 3-0) in their biggest win of the season.
Wood Catches Fire in Second Half
The 6-foot-2 guard from Memphis caught fire after halftime, scoring 18 of his 28 points in the final 20 minutes. Wood connected on four straight three-pointers during a pivotal 14-2 run that turned a 58-55 deficit into a 69-60 lead with 6:42 remaining.
“JaCobi was unconscious out there,” Murray State head coach Steve Prohm said after the victory. “When he gets going like that, he’s tough to stop. But it wasn’t just him – our guys really executed down the stretch.”
Forward KyeRon Lindsay added 16 points and nine rebounds for the Racers, who shot 52.4 percent from the field and outrebounded Austin Peay 38-31. Guard Tevin Brown chipped in 12 points and six assists while committing just one turnover in 34 minutes.
Governors’ Perfect Start Ends
Austin Peay entered the contest riding an 11-game winning streak to open the season, their best start since the 1986-87 campaign. The Governors had been averaging 81.2 points per game while shooting 47.1 percent from three-point range.
Junior forward Caleb Stone-Carrawell led Austin Peay with 22 points and seven rebounds, but the Governors struggled from beyond the arc, connecting on just 8-of-26 three-point attempts (30.8 percent). Guard Isaac Haney, who entered averaging 17.4 points per game, managed only 11 points on 4-of-12 shooting.
“Give Murray State credit – they came out and played extremely well,” Austin Peay coach Nate James said. “We knew this was going to be a tough environment, and they capitalized on our mistakes.”
Crucial Valley Conference Implications
The victory puts Murray State in a three-way tie atop the Missouri Valley Conference standings at 2-1, joining Drake and Indiana State. Austin Peay, playing in their first season as a Valley member after moving from the ASUN Conference, drops to 3-0 in league play but maintains their hold on first place.
Murray State controlled the tempo throughout, limiting Austin Peay to just 13 fast-break points while forcing 16 turnovers. The Racers converted those miscues into 21 points, including 11 in the decisive second half.
The game marked Murray State’s first win over a team ranked in the top 75 of NET rankings this season. Austin Peay entered Thursday night ranked 68th in the NCAA’s primary evaluation tool.
Crowd Provides Home Court Boost
The largest home crowd of the season created a hostile environment for the visiting Governors, who committed eight first-half turnovers and never found their rhythm offensively. Murray State fed off the energy, building leads of up to 12 points in the opening 20 minutes before taking a 38-35 advantage into halftime.
“Our fans were incredible tonight,” Wood said. “When they get loud like that, it gives us so much energy. We’ve been waiting for a game like this all season.”
The victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Murray State, who had dropped consecutive games to Alabama, Southern Illinois, and Tennessee State entering Thursday’s contest. The Racers improved to 6-1 at home this season.
Murray State returns to action Saturday when they travel to face Northern Iowa at 4 p.m. CT, while Austin Peay hosts Southern Illinois on Sunday afternoon.
