MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State (6-2) used a 20-2 run over a near seven-minute stretch in the second half to pull away from Southeast Missouri (3-6), 73-53, Sunday afternoon at the CFSB Center.
 
SEMO and MSU, once big rivals in the Ohio Valley Conference, met for the first time with the Racers being a member of the Missouri Valley.
 
The 89th meeting between the teams featured six ties and six lead changes before the Racers put together their decisive surge.
 
After BJ Ward's jumper gave the Redhawks a 37-34 lead with 18:31 left to play in the game, MSU scored 20 of the next 22 points in 6:57.
 
Jacobi Wood's shot in the paint put MSU back on top and the Racers never trailed again.
 
Terence Harcum later drained a 3-pointer to give the Racers their first double-digit lead at 49-39 at the 12:28 mark.
 
Harcum hit another 3-pointer and AJ Ferguson made a layup to cap the run expanding MSU's lead to 54-39 with 11:34 on the clock.
 
SEMO went scoreless for over six minutes while MSU scored 15 unanswered points.
 
The Racers took control of the game in the second half, where they outscored the Redhawks, 40-20. 
 
SEMO put together a strong first half shooting 53.8 percent from the floor. 
 
The Redhawks scored on three of their first five possessions out of the gate and went on to build a seven-point lead midway through the opening stanza.
 
Tied, 9-9, Teddy Washington, Jr. knocked down a 3-pointer to jumpstart a 9-2 run. Rob Martin followed with a layup and Troy Cole, Jr. scored four-straight points, including a layup to put SEMO ahead, 18-11, with 10:21 remaining.
 
MSU answered with a 15-1 run and took a seven-point lead of its own when AJ Ferguson buried a 3-pointer to give the Racers a 26-19 advantage with 7:17 left.
 
Shortly after Martin knocked down a jumper to cut MSU's lead to one, Brendan Terry added a transition layup to regain a 32-31 edge for the Redhawks.
 
Both teams headed into the intermission tied, 33-33.
 
JaCobi Wood scored 20 of his game-high 23 points in the second half to lead MSU. Nick Ellington added 15 points and eight rebounds and Harcum finished with 12 points. 
 
The Racers heated up to shoot 62.5 percent (15-of-24) from the field in the second stanza, while SEMO made 26.9 percent (7-of-26) of its shots.
 
Washington, Jr. and Terry scored 12 points each to lead the Redhawks.
 
SEMO will break for final exams before hosting St. Mary of the Woods on Dec. 15.