By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information Coordinator
MURRAY, Ky. - A perfect storm caught the Tennessee Tech men's basketball team by surprise Thursday afternoon as the Racers of Murray State defeated the Golden Eagles in the CFSB Center, 92-53.
With game time moved up from the original 7 p.m. start to 3 p.m. tipoff, things already seemed out of the ordinary for the Tech squad when it took the floor.
One of the toughest defenses in the Ohio Valley Conference, the Golden Eagles just couldn't overcome a scorching shooting effort from the Racer guards. Murray State hit 15-of-27 3-point attempts on its way to a 6-1 start in league play. Tech moves to 3-3 in OVC play following the loss.
Leading the way for the Golden Eagles was junior big man Dwan Caldwell, who shot 7-of-9 from the floor for a team-high 14 points. Jeremiah Samarrippas chimed in with 11 points, including 3-of-5 from behind the arc. He also dished out a team-best four dimes.
Ladon Carter continued his hot rebounding streak, grabbing 10 boards to go along with seven points and three blocks.
Murray State's Jeffery Moss was unconscious on the day, shooting 12-of-18 from the field and 7-of-9 from 3-point range for a career-high 31 points. Freshman Cameron Payne added 11 points and nine assists and Jarvis Williams finished with 12 points and 15 rebounds for the Racers.
The Golden Eagles will wrap up its quick two-game stint on the road with a Saturday evening contest against the Governors of Austin Peay. Part of a doubleheader with the Tech women's squad, the men's game will be broadcaste live on Comcast Sports Southeast (CSS) with a 7 p.m. CT tipoff.
