The Murray State News

Issue date: 11/21/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Elaine Kight Senior guard Tyler Holloway looks to pass in the team's exhibition game against Bethel College. Holloway and the rest of the Racers are preparing for their game against Western Kentucky Saturday at 7 p.m.

The No. 1 ranked team in the OVC got its first win, 84-46 over Lyon College and first loss 55-47, to Arkansas State.

The preseason top ranked Racers looked sluggish in the early going against Lyon College, leading by just two, 10-8, more than three minutes into the game. It took some help from the Racer bench to get the scoring started.

The ensuing 19-1 run came exclusively from the Racer substitutes. Junior Tony Easley had six of his 11 points and freshmen Matt Fraliex had six of his 13 during the run.

The Racers' senior guard Kevin Thomas scored half of his game-high 18 points in the closing minutes of the first half to give the Racers a comfortable lead at intermission, 43-13.

In the second half, Ivan Aska's transition dunk electrified the crowd and gave the Racers their largest margin of the game at 52-21.

The team extended its lead to 40 points in the second half en route to their first win of the season.

The Racers' bench was a major factor, racking up 36 points.

Easley recorded his first double-double of the season with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Easley's contributions in the first half proved instrumental for the Racers to pull away.

The Racers recorded eight turnovers while forcing 22 from Lyon College.

Thomas led the Racers in scoring with 18 points. Fraliex recorded 13, Easley added 11 and sophomore Jeffery McClain had 10.

Murray State turned around and traveled to Jonesboro, Ark., to battle the Arkansas State Red Wolves Wednesday.

The Racers avoided a second sluggish start and jumped on the Red Wolves 11-3, five-and-a-half minutes into the game.

Danero Thomas put five points on the board for the Racers in the first couple minutes.

The Racers extended their lead to 24-14 after a Danero Thomas block led to a fast break layup by Kevin Thomas.

Arkansas State cut the lead to just three (26-23) before Aska beat the buzzer with his layup.

The Racers went into halftime with a five-point lead shooting 48 percent from the floor in the first half putting up just 25 shots total.

Continued...

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