Morning Wrap: E.Kentucky Destroys #18 Miami in Hoops

((ht: espn.com))

Geez...what happened here? Eastern Kentucky...to quote the Rock "Laid the Smackdown" on the University of Miami basketball team Friday night beating the 'Canes 72-44.

Yes, the Colonels from the Ohio Valley Conference beat the Hurricanes from the mighty ACC by 28. And it wasn't that close.

Ok..it was. Eastern had a 2-point lead at the half. But a 22-2 run coming out of the blocks in the 2nd half did the trick.

And created one of the early seasons bigger surprises. Not that Miami would have been an ACC title contender, but they are supposedly pretty good. However on Friday night Eastern Kentucky handed them their worst home loss since 1997.

Corey Walden led the Colonels with 18 points on the night.

Your highlights from ESPN.com:

Murray State Sees You, TCU, And Raises... 86 In A Win

((HT: Murray State Athletics))

The last time the HQ saw Murray State head coach Chris Hatcher was a few years back when he was having ups and downs in Statesboro, Georgia at Georgia Southern. Now, he has taken his high-powered, heavy-speed offense to Murray, Kentucky as the head coach of the OVC's Murray State Racers.

Yesterday, Murray hosted Kentucky Wesleyan and did what Hatch's teams are supposed to do- score a lot of points.

45 unanswered in the second half and 86 overall in an 86-29 win over the visitors.

Surprisingly, the Racers only had 720 yards of total offense on Saturday. Three special teams scores (2 on kickoffs and one on a punt return) also helped the cause.

Murray QB KD Humphries found nine different receivers and threw for 2 scores. Pokey Harris had 10 carries for 184 yards to lead the 408 yard attack for the home team.

Here's the highlights


With some postgame from the head coach...


Hatch's old record for points at Murray was 83 set a few years back.

BUZZER BEATER: Antonius Cleveland's Halftcourt Bomb Wins It For SEMO 77-74

On Saturday in Martin, Tennessee the bank was open for Antonius Cleveland of Southeast Missouri State.

With time running out and SEMO tied with UT-Martin Cleveland launched from half court and banked it in.

Thanks Go SoutheastRedhawks:


I knew when I got the ball with four seconds left I knew I had to go." Cleveland told the seMissourian.com. I knew that if you pass the ball a couple times we weren't going to get a good shot off. I wanted to keep it and get myself in a good position to knock the shot down, and, man, it just went in. When it released I kind of knew it was going in."

Cleveland would end up with 14 points for SEMO.  Jarekious Bradley led the Red Hawks with 22 points.

BUZZER BEATER: Eastern Kentucky's Glenn Cosey 40 Foot Shot Beats Southeast Missouri

Eastern Kentucky let a 44-37 halftime lead against Southeast Missouri State evaporate thanks to a 26-10 second half run by SEMO.

EKU chipped away at SEMO's lead and then the Colonels needed some heroics form Glenn Cosey.

With time running out Cosey launched a deep three and nailed it for the game winner for Eastern Kentucky 79-78.

Thanks EKU Sports:

"That was the first game winner I ever hit, ever."  Cosey told the Richmond (Ky.) Register.  "It's crazy.  It was a big one.  I just wanted to make sure I got enough air on it to at least reach the rim.  But if felt good on the release though.  I didn't think it was going to bank in.  I thought it was going to swish but we'll take take.  We'll take it."

Tennessee State Ends Murray State's Undefeated Season

The mid-major darling this college basketball season is Murray State. The Racers had run off 23 straight wins to open the 2011-12 season and ranked in the Top 10. Murray State is #9 in this weeks Associated Press poll.

Thursday night the Racers looked to keep the undefeated run alive taking on Tennessee State on Murray State's home court.

TSU was up for the challenge and shocked the Racers 72-68 to end Murray State's hopes of an undefeated regular season.

Here's a full report from Murray, KY. (Thanks WSPD-TV)



"I'm very proud of our young men to be able to come here and win on the road," Tennessee State head coach John Cooper said in a press conference after the game. "It is certainly not an easy place to play, a packed house and a team that just stuck to it. There was a point where we were down 12 points in the second half but yet, and still for whatever reason, we hung in there."

It was the first time the TSU Tigers had defeated a nationally ranked program. The win also ensured Tennessee State would have their first winning season since 1995.

As for Murray State, expect the Racers to take a significant fall in the polls, such is life as a mid-major losing the a conference rival.

It also puts pressure on the Racers to defeat Saint Mary's February 18th. Saint Mary's has a high RPI and that would make an impression on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee should the Racers stumble again, especially in the OVC post season tournament.

The rest of Murray State schedule features teams with low RPI's.

After the recent Final Four runs by mid-majors Butler and Virginia Commonwealth a run by a middie receives more attention.

Is Murray State that mid-major that will capture the nations attention in March? The Racers 23 game winning run put them in the spotlight.